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Library of The Theological Seminary 


PRINCETON - NEW JERSEY 


DIKE 
PRESENTED BY 


Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. 
Department of History 


Presb. B’d ef Pub. Coil, 


- Digitized by the Internet Archive 
in 2023 with funding from 
Princeton Theological Seminary Library 


https://archive.org/details/freedboyinalabam0Omitc 


oar 


Wh \ ae | 


“Say, Boy! Do you want to hire out?” 


Freed-Boy in Alabama. Frontispiece, See page 4, 


<<) u? PACE 
~ + 


TH) 
™ NOV 3:7 1954 


FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, - 


BY 


ANNE M.” MITCHELL, 


AUTHOR OF “* MARTHA’S GIFT.” 


“Tf any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.” 


PHILADELPHIA: 
PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, 
1334 CHESTNUT STREET, 


PVP OL EL RIN LIAL PRS UPN ABS SL MAL LIL LVI RLV LAL VWI LANA 


Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1869, by 


WM. L. HILDEBURN, TreEasuner, 
in trust for the 
PRESBYTERIAN PUBLICATION COMMITTEE, 


In the Clerk’s Office of, the District Court for the Eastern District 
of Pennsylvania. 


PPR RAR PNR IIR LOL LPN LN IDL IFO LOVIN FOL VION LONI De 


eae ene 


Werstcorr & THOMSON, 
Stereotypers, Philada. 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


CHAPTER I. 


*‘ New are the leaves on the oaken spray, 
New the blades of the silky grass; 
Flowers that were buds but yesterday 
Peep from the ground where’er I pass.” 
BRYANT. 


[* was an April day in the South— 
not windy and blustering, with the 
remembrances of March still clinging 
about it, but warm and lovely, mild 
and balmy, with spring beauty and 
promise of good over everything. 
The grass was springing everywhere, 
and the buds on the trees were burst- 
ing into blossom, and one could gather 


tender leaves and delicate sprays of 
3 


4 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


white and hold them with the tender, 
caressing touch which we give to all 
that heralds spring. It was a good 
day to breathe the soft, mild air, to 
be among the growing things and 
dismiss winter from the mind; and, 
above all, it was one of those days 
when the restless feeling we all have 
sometimes returns in full force, and 
the thought of coming life and en- 
ergy in the natural world fills the 
mind with a longing to do something 
more than sit still and enjoy. 

All this—not exactly in this form, 
but the substance of this—with a rest- 
less, unsatisfied feeling, was possess- 
ing and fast getting control of Tom 
Alson, as he sat on a box in front of 
a store in Huntsville, idly tapping 
one foot after the other against its 
wooden sides. He had anything but 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 5 


an ambitious, energetic look, but then 
Tom never showed his feelings, and 
any one gazing at him would hardly 
have imagined that at this very mo- 
ment he was longing to go out into 
the world and “do something.” 

Certainly the man who came up to 
him just then had very little idea of 
the lofty thought in which Tom was in- 
dulging, for he gave him only a hasty 
glance before he addressed him. 

“Say, boy, want to hire out?” asked 
the man. 

Tom started and roused himself: 
“T was not thinking of it, sir,’ he 
replied. 

‘¢ Well, think of it now, then; I am 
trying to find boys to work for Mr. 
Sutherland on his plantation, about 
twenty miles out. They are growing 


corn and cotton. I’d be glad to have 
1# 


6 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


you go; give you six dollars a month 
and board.” 

“No, sir,” replied Tom; “TI think I 
will not hire out this summer.” 

“Oh think again! Six dollars a 
month is no mean pay, and I’ve 
a lot of Huntsville niggers going 
along.” 

‘No, sir,” replied Tom again, de- 
cidedly, and rising as he spoke, as if 
not wishing to continue the conver- 
sation. 

“What's to hinder you?’ asked 
the man. | 

“T am going to school, sir,” re- 
turned the boy, knowing that this 
would puta stop to the urging; and 
it was successful, for the man, with 
a few coarse words about “niggers 
and education,” turned suddenly and 
walked away, and Tom, with his hands 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 7 


in his pockets, sauntered off in an op- 
posite direction, whistling. 

He caine up to his home by and by, 
and found his sister Martha in a chair 
outside the door, busied with some 
sewing. He sat down on a step near 
and watched her swift-moving hand 
in silence for some minutes, with his 
eyes on her work and his thoughts a 
long way off. 

‘Has mother come back?’ he 
asked, at length. 

“Yes, Tom,” replied Martha, with 
a little sigh, “but she didn’t succeed 
in getting any work. I do not see 
how we are going to get along. I 
think I shall try to see if I can get 
something to do. 

“Twas thinking of that, too,” said 
Tom. ‘“There’s a man here to-day 
who wants hands to go twenty miles 


8 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


out. He wanted me, but I told him 
4 No.’ oP] 

Martha stitched away in silence. 

“Td go,” said Tom, suddenly, “ but 
there’s the school; I could not give 
that up.” 

“Not for Jesus, Tom?” asked Mar- 
tha, looking round with a little smile. 

“ Would it be for Jesus, Martha,” 
said Tom, earnestly, ‘“ to give up school 
and go to work, neglecting my educa- 
tion meanwhile ?” 

“Think about it, Tom, and remem- 
ber what Paul did for Jesus.” 

Tom did think. The conversation 
ceased between them entirely, and 
the fresh spring breezes came from 
the South, laden with the breath of 
flowers, and passed gently by the two 
seated before the cabin door, one of 
them so busy with his decision. 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 9 


When Tom, at length, rose and 
moved off, Martha could not tell his 
thought, although she peered anx- 
iously into his face to see if possible 
what lay there, but it was unmoved, 
and he did not meet her look of in- 
quiry with any return, but passed out 
of the gate, swinging it after him, and 
walking off toward the quarter of the 
town where his father was at work. 
He looked very grave when the two 
came in together at dinner-time, and 
hurried off toward the school-room 
before his sister was ready. She 
watched him a little anxiously all the 
afternoon, but the grave, intent face 
did not once relax its gravity, and the 
lines of soberness remained even after 
the pleasant afternoon session came to 
a close. Martha waited for her bro- 
ther some minutes, with the hope that 


10 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


she might have one of their customary 
talks on their way home, but he did 
not come away, so she went on alone. 

It was not until an hour later, while 
she was busily weeding the little gar- 
den, that Tom came up and stopped 
at her side. 

‘Martha, I’m going,” he said, ab- 
ruptly. 

“Tom! why, Tom—going! when 
and what for,” she said, starting and 
turning round toward him. 

‘Going to-morrow, Martha, and for 
Jesus,” he replied, quietly. 

Martha turned back again suddenly 
without remark, and industriously 
weeded the springing grass from 
around the young plants. 

Tom waited several minutes, and 
then spoke again: 

“ Are you not glad of this, Martha?” 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. I1 


She dropped the shovel with which 
she had been working, turned toward 
him, and lifting her hands to her head 
in a nervous way, replied, with quiv- 
ering lips: 

“That I am glad, you know, but 
oh I shall lose my brother !” 

Tom’s eyes fell and his mouth 
twitched. 

“‘T’ve been to see Miss Mason,” he 
said, after a minute, ‘to bid her good- 
bye. She says I must send her a let- 
ter. That is a great blessing which 
we did not always have, Martha—we 
may write to each other. That is 
good.” 

“Yes.” Martha knew it as well as 
Tom, and I think it was the thought 
of this more than almost anything 
else which served to keep them in 
some degree of cheerfulness. during 


12 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


the remainder of his stay. It was 
not long, only so many short hours 
Martha almost counted the minutes. 
It was like Tom to act in a moment 
when the question of duty came 
home to him, and although Martha 
knew this, yet she had been surprised, 
after all, at his sudden acting upon 
her suggestion. What if Tom should 
sicken or be in any want so far from 
home ?—for to Martha the distance 
seemed immense. Would she _ not 
then be sorry she had ever encour- 
aged him? JBut those precious let- 
ters! How thankful she felt that she 
could write, and that though miles 
were between them, yet words could 
pass from one to the other! 

How Tom felt no one knew. He 
hid his feelings always. Martha was 
the only one who ever had a glimpse, 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, TS 


and she only now and then. He 
counted the’ cost at every step, yet 
still he had gone back to his acquaint- 
ance of the morning, and agreed with: 
him to work on the plantation during 
thesummer. His father had listened, 
too, when he proposed it, and although 
he would have liked to keep his boy 
at home, yet work was scarce, and he 
could not always find means to live; 
so Tom must go. He had taken leave 
of his teacher and the school-room 
- quite calmly, to all appearance, and no 
one knew how hard the struggle was 
to give up all this for Jesus. Yet it 
was this thought which kept him up 
through it all, and watching Martha’s 
erave face as she bent over his box 
placing his things together, he longed 
to tell her his source of comfort. But 


perhaps he needed it himself more 
2 


14 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 


than she did, for to one of his dispo- 
sition to go from home and mingle 
among strangers was very hard, very 
much against his will. Yet as he 
looked at it, he thought perhaps God 
had sent him just this trial to make 
him better, and that he might have 
something for him to do for his ser- 
vice in the country. And so his cour- 
age did not quite fail. 

How his eyes lingered the next 
morning upon everything about his 
home, trying as he did to impress 
each little portion of the house-fur- 
nishing upon his memory! It seemed 
as if he could not lose sight of his 
sister Martha’s face. His eyes fol- 
lowed her everywhere. It was almost 
strange, the devoted affection which 
had sprung up between the two; and 
it was so hard, just as they were help- 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 15 


ing one another along the narrow 
‘ way through the journey of life, to 
be obliged to part. 
But it came, late in the afternoon— 
the parting—and was over, and Tom 
found himself in the car looking 
out at the country, green, and fresh, 
and beautiful, and trying to realize 
how long it would be before the famil- 
iar faces would be near him again. 
Of all Tom’s boy friends there was 
but one who was of this company, and 
he, although a school-mate, knew Tom 
only shghtly. But he was alone too, 
and so after a while, seeing the empty 
seat beside ''om, he came and sat 
down. 3 
“How do you think you'll like it 
out there?” he asked, as Tom turned 
round. 

‘TY have hardly thought,” replied 


16 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


Tom. “I do not know anything 
about it.” 

‘“T can tell you a heap then. It’sa 
big plantation, with quarters for the 
hands not far from the house. The 
master lives in a big, white mansion, 
and has charge of the cotton and corn- 
fields. My brother is there, and he 
says it’s a pretty good place. Pay is re- 
cular, and that’s the most, you know.” 

“Where shall we stay? Do you 
know ?” asked Tom. ; 

“No, I don’t. I ’spects likely we'll 
be quartered with some old auntie or 
other. I) .don’t’ much: care. ) ‘They 
have jolly times after hours—break- 
downs and dances. Hi! it’s gay fun!” 

Tom’s heart sank. He looked out 
of the window and saw the great trees 
with their tops just lighted with the 
rising moon, heard the shrill ery of 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 17 


the mocking-bird, and saw the fire- 
flies lighting up the woods with a 
thousand tiny lamps. Cool the even- 
ing air came across his face, with the 
motion of the car hurrying on through 
one of the most glorious countries on 
which the sun shines. Tom saw it 
all, and loved it for the sake of Him 
who made it, but his heart was heavy 
with the grief of parting, the sting 
of poverty which sent him away from 
home, and the prospect before him. 
Very rebellious, very discontented, his 
thoughts were for a few minutes, until 
some old auntie going out with the 
company, and who had learned with 
the experience of years to leave her bur- 
den of care in His hands “ who careth 
- for us,” struck up a hymn, and as the 
voices one by one joined in with her, 


until the car was full of the melody 
2# 


18 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 


which floated out upon the evening 
air among the moss-laden trees, Tom’s 
head sank and rested upon the seat in 
front, and the tears came—tears of 
penitence and joy—as he listened : 


“Oh God’s got a plenty for all of his children— 
Sit all around God’s table; 
For God’s got plenty for all his children— 
Sit all around God’s table.” 


There was a prayer for help and 
courage as ‘Tom listened, and after it 
was finished his head was lifted with 
new resolve. He was immediately 
attacked again by the boy at his side. 

“You went to see Miss Mason yes- 
terday, did you not?” he demanded. 

“Yes,” replied Tom, with a softened 
remembrance of the words of kind- 
liness and cheer given him by his 
teacher. ‘Yes, I did; I went to bid 
her good-bye. How did you know ?” 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 19 


“Because I went myself, and she 
told me you were of the company. 
She said you would help me get 
along.”’ 

“Twill, all that I can,” replied Tom. 

‘She said you had got religion.. Is 
that so?” ; 

Tom gave an instant’s glance out 
into the night again. “It is ‘known 
of me,’ then,” he thought; and finally 
said, with a little smile which showed 
more than anything else could have 
done the value that religion was to 
him, “I love the Lord Jesus.” } 

“T don’t think you and I will do 
for each other,” said the boy, a little 
mystified by Tom’s smile and moving 
uneasily in his seat. ‘Iam up to all 
sorts of shines.” 

“JT think we'll do very nicely for 
one another,” replied Tom, brightly, 


20 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


seeing, with joy, part of the Master’s 
work already at his hands. ‘‘ We are 
school-mates, you know, and both love 
to study; that ought to make us 
friends if nothing else does. We will 
work together in the evenings.,”’ 

The boy roused instantly, and they 
fell into earnest talk of the ways and 
means for study, the lessons they had 
already learned, the remembrance of. 
happy school-hours, and a thousand 
other things which to these boys, who 
until lately had never known the joys 
of school-life, were the brightest spots 
in their existence. 

So the miles were passed over, and 
the beautiful Southern country left 
behind: the short journey—so long to 
many—was accomplished, and at a 
little station-house, within about a 
mile of the plantation, they were at 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. QF 


length set down, fifty souls in all, and 
took up their line of march. Tom and 
his friend Jimmy Harrison walked on 
silently with the rest. The final land- 
ing at the station had not been pleas- 
ant. The agent who had them in 
charge was not kind, and the people 
were feeling very unpleasantly. Tom 
had rather better control of himself 
than the rest, for with the first shock 
and rebellious thoughts, as the words 
of harshness and anger fell upon his 
ears, his soul went up to God in a 
' prayer for patience and strength, to 
keep down any feelings of unkindness. 
‘Then turning to Jimmy, whose quick 
temper had been roused by the rough 
treatment, with a few gentle kindly | 
words of encouragement he put his 
arm through his, and led him forward 
in the line of march. 


22 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


And long afterward, when the sum- 
mer breezes would bring to him the 
cool fragrant breath of plants and 
erowing flowers, he was always re- 
minded of this first night, when the 
work which he longed to do for Jesus 
commenced; and knowing the blessed 
influence which followed all through 
that long, hard summer, he ever after 
thanked God and took courage. 


SADLY ve 


CHAPTER If. 


“Trials must and will befall, 
But with humble faith to see 
Love inscribed upon them all, 
This is happiness to me.” 


jay and Jimnmiy were quartered 
with an old colored woman called 
Aunt Margaret, one of the family 
servants, who in her old age had been 
furnished with a tiny brick house near 
the mansion, in which she had lved 
some years by herself. The house 
contained three rooms, two on the 
lower floor and one above stairs, and 
the master, who had dismissed the 
agent upon their arrival, and super- 
intended the settling of the people 


23 


24 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


himself, placed the two boys, Tom and 
Jimmy, in this upper room. Tom was 
greatly pleased on account of the quiet 
which he thought would result from 
their removal from the cabins or 
quarters of the rest of the hands, and 
pictured to himself many happy hours 
of study in the room up-stairs. 

But he discovered his mistake very 
soon. Aunt Margaret was very fond 
of company, and the cabin was the 
common resort of half the working- 
people on the place, and study, to say 
nothing of quiet, was out of the ques- 
tions 

It was on the second evening after 
his arrival, at the close of the first 
day’s work in the field, that Tom took 
out his books. How sadly and mourn- 
fully he had missed his school all day, 
no one knew but himself; and now he 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 25 


took his books and slate with no small 
degree of pleasure. 

“What's the chile gwine to do?” 
asked the old woman, peering at him 
over her spectacles. 

“Going to read and study a while 
by your candle, Aunt Margaret, if I 
may,” he replied. i 

‘“Taws, chile! you may do as you 
likes, for all me,” she returned with a 
shake of her head; “but it ’pears like 
there'll be mighty little quiet here to- 
night.” 

Tom soon found it so, to his utter 
dismay. First, Jimmy came in with 
one or two others, talking loud pag 
making a confusion. 

“Are you going to study with me 
to-night?” asked Tom as he came 
up to the table and glanced at the 


books. 
3 


96 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


“No, I’m not that,” replied the 
boy; “it’s larks I’m after, and if you 
wasn’t a stupid, you wouldn’t either.” 

Tom was disappointed, and bent his 
head over his books silently, and 
tried to work. But there was no 
study to be had there. The room 
gradually filled with women and men, 
and attention to books was impossible. 
He gave it up at last, but not before 
he had two or three laughing remarks 
addressed to him. He closed his book 
and rested his head wearily on his 
hand. He concluded he would go up 
stairs. ‘Iam not used to such com- 
pany as this,” he thought with a new 
feeling creeping into his heart. ‘TI 
will go away, and just show them all 
that I am made of a different sort 
from them.” | 

Then he suddenly bethought him 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 27 


how wrongly he was acting in thus 
putting himself above his fellows; so 
he immediately raised his head and 
joined in the conversation. 
_ It was no pleasure to him, but he 
stayed half an hour, and then, seeing 
he could go without giving offence to 
any one, he gladly gathered up his 
books and went off up stairs. A candle 
was a luxury not to be indulged in, 
but as ‘Tom ascended the stairs he 
saw that the moonlight was pouring 
in through the one window, so that the 
room was quite light. He put his 
books away, and seating himself on 
the floor under the window, which 
was very low, he leaned his head on 
his arm upon the sill and began to 
think. 

It was a long, sober thought. With © 
quick understanding he saw very soon 


28 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


what. a battle the summer would be to 
him, and how hard it would be for 
him to accomplish his aims. He was 
resolved upon one thing: study he 
must and would, if every leisure min- 
ute of the noontide hour was given 
up to it. Then, again, he must do 
some work for Jesus. The summer 
must not yet pass without some deed 
accomplished whereby his Master 
should be glorified. He realized that 
to this end he must make himself fa- 
miliar with the hands about the place 
—not only with those who came from 
Huntsville, but also with the old 
family servants. The dangers, the 
temptations accompanying such a 
course, if they occurred to him at all, 
did not present themselves in their 
dangerous form—the temptation that 
while leading others he might himself 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 29 


be led away—that his faith might 
fail or his courage droop. The whole 
armor of God was the only thing 
which could keep him from all the 
ills and troubles thus presented. He 
did not know how much trial was 
before him, but he did know that he 
needed a stronger arm than his own 
to lead him, and he looked above for 
strength and shelter. 

The trial came first in a most un- 
expected direction. Jimmy, in all good 
humor, reported that Tom “had got 
religion,” and to those to whom he 
told it it was a very bad recommenda- 
tion, and they held themselves aloof; 
and not only that, but they would 
amuse themselves with sundry jokes 
at his expense. Tom was astonished 
and wounded. He could not imagine 


where they could have heard it, and it 
3% 


30 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


prevented, for a time, the advance- 
ment he wished to make in their re- 
gard. He tried his best. By every 
effort in his power he endeavored to 
gain friends among this new company, 
and in a few instances he succeeded 
immediately; in others not so well; 
and often it was impossible to have a 
talk with those whose friendship he 
wished most to gain, on account of 
their leisure-time being so much 
occupied with dances in the great 
barn. 

The studying was scarcely better at 
first. It was very hard between his 
bites of corn-bread in the noon-spell 
to give his attention to looking out 
words in the dictionary, or mastering 
what seemed to him such profound 
problems in arithmetic. ‘There was 
an hour before supper which was his 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 381 


own, and that was devoted, half to 
study and half to Bible-reading. It 
was very hard work to stand firmly 
by his resolution, and go after his 
books at the close of a warm, tire- 
some day, and study so persistently 
just when the twilight was growing 
beautiful and the people were all rest- 
ing before their cabin doors. Some- 
times he was quite discouraged,’ and 
almost determined to give up. 

One afternoon, when he had been 
perhaps two weeks on the plantation, 
he was coming home from work just 
at sunset, with his jacket thrown over 
his arm, warm and tired with his day’s ° 
labor, and rather dreading than other- 
wise the hour of study which was be- 
fore him, when suddenly, as he passed 
near the mansion, the master stepped 
from the doorway and accosted him. 


o2 ##THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


Tom stopped and waited for what he 
might have to say. | 
“Ts your name Tom Alson?” he 
asked, feeling in his coat pocket and 
drawing out a number of letters. 

“Yes, sir,” he answered, his heart. 
bounding with a hope he hardly dared 
to own. 

“Well, then, I’ve a letter for you,” 
he said, selecting one from a num- 
ber. He scanned it curiously for a 
few minutes, and then gave it to the 
boy, adding, “Can you read writ- 
ing?” 

“Yes, sir,’ replied Tom; “I can 
read writing, and write myself. I am 
much obliged to you.” : 

- Not at all,” answered Mr. Suther- 
land, carelessly. ‘ Do you know who 
wrote that direction ?” | 
.. Lom looked at the letter which his 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 33 


fingers held so lovingly, and replied 
with a very bright face, 

“Yes, sir—my teacher.” 

‘‘Ts she white?” inquired the master, 

“Oh yes, sir! She is a Northern 
lady.” 

“Well, go off and enjoy your letter,” 
said Mr. Sutherland, dismissing him, 
and turning away pleased with the 
eager look of welcome the boy had 
given the letter. 

And Tom, glad to be so dismissed, 
ran off to his seat under the trees, 
leaving his books to take care of them- 
selves while he read the precious let- 
ter—the first one he had ever received 
in his life. 

There were two, he found, when he 
opened the envelope. One with all 
the dainty prettiness of French paper 
and stamped ‘M,” in the delicate 


34 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


handwriting of Miss Mason, and the 
other in the round, school-girl hand 
of Martha. Ah! how every word of 
those two letters went to Tom’s heart! 
Martha’s was full of home news, every 
item well expressed, because her heart 
' was in this the first letter written to 
her brother Tom. It was penned in 
good spirits, for her mother had been 
able to obtain a few days’ work. 

“T am looking for a place for my- 
self,” she wrote, “‘and hope to get one, 
but I have not seen any opportunity 
as yet, and sometimes I almost wish I 
had gone with you.” 

“JT am glad she didn’t,’ thought 
Tom. 

“Our Sunday-school has been so 
pleasant lately,” she continued, “I. 
only wish you could be here. Mr. 
Allen gave us some beautiful illumi- 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 35 


nated texts last Sunday. I had been 
thinking about you all the afternoon, 
and had been wishing you could have 
heard Mr. Allen’s talk, and I am 
afraid I was feeling a little wrong and 
_ disappointed that you could not be 
with us, when Mr. Allen laid upon 
my desk my little text. I did not 
wish any more, Tom; I just believed 
what it said, and kept still. Now I 
am going to send it to you, and if you 
have—as I have no doubt you often 
do, good as you are—any longings for 
home that grow too strong, then here 
is my text;”’ and Tom feat in red 
and gold eee on a bit of card ete 
fell from the letter > 

“Trust in the Lord, and wait pa- — 
tiently for him.” : 

Tom’s eyes were blinded for seve- 
ral minutes, so that he could scarcely 


36 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


see to read Miss Mason’s kind note. 
It told him just what he wanted 
most to know—all the school news; 
how Martha was getting on, what 
new songs they were learning, and 
how his own class was prospering. 
“And knowing that you had your 
books with you,” she added, “and 
thinking you might have time for 
study, I have marked on a slip of 
paper all that your class has learned, 
and a few directions which will help 
you to study for yourself. 

‘“ And now,” she concluded, ‘‘I do 
not know that you need counsel, but 
let me just remind you that you are a 
soldier of Jesus Christ, and that it is 
a part of a soldier’s duty to see that 
his comrades are saved from danger ; 
so, my dear boy, try and bring back 
to God some who are still outside the 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 87 


fold. We all have work to do for 
Jesus, you know.” 

Tom’s heart’ rested. He did not 
see how he could be sorrowful with 
these two bits of cheer coming to him 
when he felt so weary and heartsick. 
He was not so any more—that night, at 
any rate—and the letters were shown 
to many admiring eyes. Jimmy 
opened his very wide. 

‘Tad a letter from Miss Mason?” 
exclaimed he. “ My sakes! let’s read;” 
but Tom could not do that. 

“Td rather not, Jimmy,” said he, 
looking at Jimmy’s fingers and think- 
ing of the delicate paper, “but Dll 
tell you all she said.” 

He told so much about school and 
the work she had sent him that 
Jimmy’s slumbering ambition was 
aroused. 

4 


38 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


“T declare, Tom,” said he, ‘I haven’t 
studied a bit since I came; have you?” 
“Yes,” replied Tom, “a good deal.” 

“ Are you up with your class?” 

“Yes,” returned Tom. 

‘Oh dear! and I promised to study 
with you. I'll begin this very night.” 

And he did, and added thereby for 
a short time much to Tom’s happi- 
ness. For a while he gave his eve- 
nines pretty steadily, but at noon he 
was inexorable. 

“No, sir,’ he said—‘‘noon is for 
rest.” 

The next day Tom was very busy 
shelling corn for the planting. He 
had stationed himself on the door- 
step of the barn, and as he shelled 
and the kernels fell from the cob, he 
thought of his two letters; and sud- 
denly thinking of some task Miss 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 389 


Mason assigned him, and not being 
able distinctly to recall it, he took out 
her letter and laid it open near him, 
and tried to puzzle out the meaning 
of an example she had given him, 
continuing his work while he did so. 
As he was still thus engaged, the noon- 
bell struck, and throwing down his ear 
of corn, he drew a pencil and paper 
out of his pocket and proceeded care- 
fully to write out the problem. So 
busy was he that he did not perceive 
that any one had come up until his 
master’s voice spoke. 

“What are you busy about, Tom ?” 
he asked. 

He looked up suddenly, and then 
rose out of respect to his master. 
“T was copyine out an example ou 
teacher sent me,” he said. 

“Ts that your writing? Let me see 


40: THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 


it.” He reached for the paper on 
which Tom had been working, and 
eyed it narrowly. 

“ Would you like to see my teacher’s 
letter, sir?” he asked. 

“Yes, I should,” he replied; so 
Tom produced it, and it was read 
very attentively. ‘“ How long did you 
go to school?” he asked, as he fin- 
ished it and laid it back into Tom’s 
hand. 

‘Two years, sir.” 

‘And can you do all those exam- 
ples your teacher has given you?” 

“T think so, sir. Jam trying them 
now.” : 

“Ts this the way you always pass 
your noon-time rest ?” 

“Yes, sir,” replied Tom. 

‘The world has turned about,” said 
the master, with a curious, puzzled 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA... 41 


look, and then he turned about him- 
self. But he had not gone three steps 
before he came back again. 

“Say, my boy,” he said, “come up 
to the house after supper to-night. 
Tell Aunt Dinah, the cook, that mas- 
ter said you were to come to the 
library. Do you understand ?” 
oi Yes, sir, replied) Tom's ; ‘I: wall 
come, sir.” | 

So the master went away, and Tom 
returned to his task, so intent and in- 
terested that it never entered into his 
mind to conjecture why he was wanted 


in the evening at the mansion. 
4% 


CHAPTER ITI. 


“© little hearts! that throb and beat 
With such impatient, feverish heat, 
Such limitless and strong desires !” 
LONGFELLOW. 


\OM found, however, when he told 
the incident to the people who 
were assembled in Aunt Margaret’s 
cabin when he came in at night, that it 
created quite a sensation. The idea of 
any one of them being sent for into 
the master’s library was a wonder, 
and Tom found himself a lion among 
them. He did not feel the least elated, 
however. He only feared, when he 
came to think of it, that his master’s 
discovery of his knowledge would lead 
to his dismissal, and he had felt as if 
he was just beginning to gain the 
42 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 43. 


friendship of his fellow-workers which 
he so much wished to have. There- 
fore it was with rather a grave face 
and sober step that he walked in the 
gathering twilight toward the man- 
sion. Aunt Dinah was standing on 
the back porch, throwing corn and 
feed to the chickens, who, having 
grown tame from long acquaintance, 
were crowding close around her, in 
order to get each one a full share of 
the evening meal. 

Tom came up and touched his cap. 
‘‘ Auntie,’ said he, ‘has Mr. Suther- 
land finished his supper ?” 

Now Aunt Dinah was crabbed, and 
she determined, when she saw him: 
coming, that she would send him off 
rather quicker than he came, but 
the touched cap and voice of respect 
went to just the right place in her 


44 - THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 


heart. ‘Sure, honey, he’s ‘done 
supper,’ she said. “What did you 
- want with him?” 

‘He bade me come up after tea,” 
replied Tom, ‘‘and he said you would 
show me the way to the library.” Tom 
rose higher in Aunt Dinah’s regard 
- immediately. In her own words, “ If 
waarster wanted one of them field 
hands in the lib’ry, it meant sumthin’, 
sure enough.” 

Therefore, with a little smoothing 
touch to her apron, she led the way 
through the matted hall, and knocked 
at one of the doors which opened from 
it. “This is the hbrary,” she said, 
and so left him. 

A. little girl came and opened the 
door—a  sweet-looking, black-eyed 
child of about seven years old—and 
held it open as he stepped in. Mr. 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 45 


Sutherland lifted his eyes from a 
bundle of papers, and seeing who it 
was, said, “Ah! here you are. Just sit 
down a few minutes and I shall be 
able to attend to you.” 

Tom seated himself quietly, glad of 
the few minutes given him to examine 
the pretty room. Called a library out 
of compliment, it was more like a tiny 
drawing-room, so many little things 
of elegance were gathered here. The 
taste of the owner had full play, and 
showed itself rather too fond of gilt 
and bright colors, but at the same 
time toned down by a few Parian 
figures and antique vases, which 
showed where the wife had been at 
work. Tom looked at her, after his 
survey of the room, with eyes which 
certainly did not lack admiration. A 
delicate, fair woman, with the languid 


46 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 


manner characteristic of her country- 
women, but with an air of refinement 
and culture resting upon every move 
of her hand and turn of her head. 
A. vision of beauty such as Tom had 
never seen before. The little girl who 
had opened the door for him was 
seated at her mother’s feet, very 
industriously engaged in undressing a 
large doll, and at the same time sing- 
ing softly to herself— 


“ Jesus loves me—this I know, 
For the Bible tells me so.” 


There she would stop, hum the re- 
mainder of the tune, and then go back 
to the beginning again. Tom wondered 
whether she knew the rest of the verse, 
and was longing to tell her, when his 
master called him, and he ceased to 
listen, «Lom; - Baidithe. “Tumind 
you can write much better than I 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 47 


can—(my education was neglected 
somehow)” he added in parenthesis, 
moving uneasily in his chair, with a 
glance at his wife—‘“‘and I have much 
trouble in making the merchants 
comprehend the accounts. I thought 
perhaps you might know how to 
decipher them, and in that case I 
thought I would employ you to copy — 
them, spending say an hour every 
evening. Of course you will be paid,” 
he added. | 

Mrs. Sutherland looked up from 
her delicate work, and eyed the boy as 
he bent over the papers Mr. Suther- 
land laid before him. 

“Can this boy read?” she asked, 
indolently. 

“Yes,” replied her husband. 

“What does he do about the place?” 

‘He is a field hand,” he replied. 


48 |THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


“He had better confine his attention 
to corn and cotton than serve you as 
an amanuensis. You are spoiling the 
hands,” she added, impatiently. 

Tom’s eyes never wandered from 
his paper, but he lost not a word, and 
the firm set of lips showed him no in- 
different listener. ) 

“Can you read these?” asked the 
master with no reply to his wife’s 
observation. 

“Veg sir, I think go.” 

‘Well, then, let me hear them.” 

So Tom read aloud the month’s re- 
port of the number of hands employed, 
the wages of each, the amount of work 
performed and the expenses of the 
place. It was all correctly done, and 
then the two fell to work—the master 
arranging the books for Tom’s future 
work, and the boy copying. There 


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THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 49 


‘was nothing very elegant about the 
writing, but it was a round, even hand, 
very plain and distinct. Yet as he 
wrote Tom was. troubled. He 
wondered if his Master knew that 
these business affairs were all fully 
understood by him. Mr. Sutherland’s 
books were very simple, and, with 
Tom’s late knowledge of arithmetic, 
very easily understood. He wondered 
if his master realized that one of his 
field hands comprehended all the 
business of the plantation. 

By and by, when for a few minutes 
both came to a standstill, Tom spoke: 

“Mr. Sutherland, do you know 
that I understand all this work I am 
copying.” 

‘Do you mean to tell me you un- 
stand the losses and gains during the 
month?” . 

5 


50 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 


eoyese sir. 

Mr. Sutherland looked annoyed and 
perplexed, and his wife laughed and 
remarked that he had better take her 
advice and send the boy back to his 
cotton. 

‘T would not care, Bertha,” he re- 
phed, “if I were only sure I could 
trust the boy.” 

“Of what are you afraid, Mr. Suth- 
erland?” asked Tom, with a little fire 
in his eyes. 

“Only of your reporting the state 
of affairs at Aunt Margaret’s gather- 
ings,” he replied. 

“T shall not do that, sir,” said Tom, 
firmly. 

“But the question is,” said Mr. 
Sutherland, “ whether I can trust your 
word.” 

Tom’s eyes certainly flashed fire for 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 51 


a moment; all his old spirit of unre- 
strained passion ran through him, 
sending the blood throbbing all over 
his body, trembling on his lips, dan- 
cing in his eyes, gathering on his fore- 
head, and causing the fingers that 
held the pen to close upon it like a 
vice. This lasted for a minute, and 
then remembering his love for the 
Lord Jesus, and at the same time that 
the master could not know how well 
he could be trusted, the fingers re- 
laxed their grasp, the brow cleared, 
the lips unbent and formed a smile, 
and the eyes dropped. 

‘‘T hope I may be trusted, sir. Will 
you try me?” he asked, quietly. 

“Yes, I will,” replied Mr. Suther- 
land, who had watched the play of 
feature, and understood a little, al- 
though not half, of the boy’s thought. 


52 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


So they fell to work again—the 
little battle over and the victory won, 
and a battle-song of triumph in Tom’s 
heart, for “he that ruleth his own 
spirit is greater than he that taketh 
a city.” 

By and by, when the minutes had 
made an hour and more, the books 
were closed. The master’s little girl 
had come round near her father’s 
chair, and stood there holding on to 
the arm of the chair, swinging to and 
fro, and singing, “Jesus loves me,” 
as Tom and Mr. Sutherland finished 
the evening’s work with arrangements 
to resume it at the same hour on the 
morrow. 

Then Tom turned to the little 
girl: 

‘Miss Lillie, do you know the rest 
of that verse?” he asked. 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 53 


*‘ No,” she replied, stopping short; 
“do you?” 

“Yes,” replied Tom; “I know all 
the hymn.” 

“Well, then, sing it,’ she de- 
manded. 

Tom looked toward Mrs. Suther- 
land, but her eyes were turned away, 
so he looked down into the waiting 
face upturned toward him, and softly 
and gently gave the sweet words: 

“ Jesus loves me—this I know, 
For the Bible tells me so; 
Little ones to him belong ; 


They are weak, but he is strong. 
Yes, Jesus loves me. 


“ Jesus loves me—he who died: 
Heaven’s gate to open wide; 
He will wash away my sin, 
Let his little child come in, 

Yes, Jesus loves me. 


“ Jesus Joves me—he will stay 
. Close beside me all the way; 
5 # 


54 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 


If I love him when T die, 
He will take me home on high. 
Yes, Jesus love me.” 


She had kept her black eyes fixed 
upon his face throughout the hymn, 
and when he had finished, seeing his 
earnestness, she asked : 

“Do you love Jesus ?” : 

How it startled him! He glanced 
quickly toward the two listeners, but 
Mrs. Sutherland had not changed her 
position, and the master’s eyes were 
on the floor and his face unreadable. 

It was a pity they were not looking 
at him, for as his eyes came back to 
the questioner and saw how she was 
awaiting his reply, all the new love 
and allegiance flashed back upon him, 
and his reply was given with a smile 
that was worth seeing. 

“Oh yes, I love the Lord Jesus.” 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 55 


Then he rose and moved toward the 
door, but his bare feet on the carpet | 
made no sound. He stopped at the 
threshold and waited for a word, but 
none came; so he said: ‘‘ Good-even- 
ing, Mr.and Mrs. Sutherland.” The 
mistress dismissed him with a little 
bow, without raising her head, and the 
master roused and replied, 

“Ah! going? Well, good-night. 
I'll see you to-morrow.” 

So Tom went out into the night, 
clear and beautiful, with innumerable 
stars shining down out of heaven, and 
the rich earth lying in the beauty of 
its early spring dress all about him. 
Down at the quarters he could see 
sparkling lights from the fires which 
the open doors left in view. From 
the little log-barn, long ago out of use, 
came the voices of the people who 


56 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


were holding a meeting there. He 
listened a moment, but he could not 
catch the words, so he walked nearer, 
and stopped beneath the tree where 
he had read his precious letters, and 
there the words came distinctly to his 
ear, borne to him by the sweet even- 
ing breeze: 
“My good Lord’s been here, 
Has been here, has been here: 
My good Lord’s been here, 
And blessed my soul, and gone. 
Seeker, where were you 
When my good Lord was here?” 

‘““My good Lord’s been here,” said 
Tom softly to himself, and then he 
kneeled down and thanked God 
humbly and gratefully both for the 
opportunity he had given him, and 
also for this night’s victory. No pride 
of the task assigned him entered his 
mind; and when, after curious 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 57. 


questioning in Aunt Margaret’s cabin 
as to the result of his visit to the man- 
sion, he told them that Mr. Suther- 
land wanted some writing done by 
him, he had no pride in the announce- 
ment; and when he saw, as he could 
not help seeing, how he rose imme- 
diately in the estimation of his 
questioners, he was very glad, only 
because it might help in his work for 
Jesus. 

It was Tom’s plan to start a little 
Sunday-school after a while. He felt 
very timid about it, and although he 
had taken no decided step in the 
matter, he had gradually won his way 
to the hearts of the people on the 
place, and by frequent acts of kindness 
“was becoming rather popular among 
them. As I said before, this was very 
dangerous. He might forget for 


58 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


whom he was working, and learn to 
think only of himself. This could not 
be yet, however, for he still looked to 
Jesus for help and strength, and while 
he did so he was secure. 

As soon as it was noised abroad that 
the master needed Tom’s services to 
write for him every night, the respect 
for Tom increased, and put him in the 
way of more work. The people who, 
like Tom, had come to the plantation 
for the summer, came to him to have 
letters written and messages sent to 
their absent friends, so Tom’s hands 
began to be quite full; and always 
intent as he was upon his work for 
Jesus, he would send a message or a 
bit of advice or counsel to the friends 
of those for whom he wrote, and so his 
influence became widespread. How 
much pleasure he took in answering 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 59 


the two letters which had brought him 
so much comfort was best known to 
himself, but his face was brighter 
and his step lighter for days after- 
ward. 

There was one face, however, which 
was steadily set against his growing 
popularity from the first. This was 
Jimmy, his school-mate in Huntsville 
and his room-mate here. After a few 
evenings, he gave up study and with- 
drew himself from his friend more and 
more. He knew almost as much as 
Tom, but he cared nothing at all about. 
it, except to be envious of his friend’s 
position. “I can write as well as he,” 
he would often say, but when asked to 
send a letter, he would always refuse. 
So he continually boasted of the 
amount he knew, but would never 
show his knowledge. Their rooming 


60 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


together had been pleasant at first, but 
of late there had been scarcely a word 
between them. Jimmy shunned him — 
on every occasion, and when forced 
into his company would say sneering 
things with regard to Tom’s ‘great 
learning,” as he called it. Yet still 
Tom was uniformly kind and polite, 
and when those around would silence 
Jimmy in some one of his insolent 
speeches, his replies came always 
mild and gentle. This conduct gained 
for him more friends and more kindly 
attention to the words he spoke for 
Jesus than anything else could have 
done. It does not take learned minds: 
to know when those around them live 
according to their profession. 

Not a word of all this reached 
Martha; and when, months after, he 
told her of the struggle of these days, 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 61 


she knew that only the strength given 
him from above had enabled him to 
bear it. No, the letters that came as 
a piece of freshness and unbounded 
pleasure to Martha were full of what- 
ever Tom could find of love and cheer 
to put in them. Of his efforts in the 
work for Jesus he told her, with a 
longing to do more, but there was no 
mention of trials or difficulties, and 
the letters were read and put carefully 
away with just the feeling of joy and 
thankfulness which Tom had striven 


for when he wrote them. 
6 


CHAP THR iy. 


* Leave God to order all thy ways, 
And hope in him, whate’er betide ; 
Thou’lt find him in the evil days: 
An all-sufficient strength and guide 
Who trusts in God’s unchanging love, 
Builds on a rock that naught can move.” 
GEORGE NewMARK’s Hymn. 


BOUT this time, and for some 
weeks later, Tom longed continu- 
ally to commence a more decided ser- 
vice.for his Master. But there were 
several things that came in the way: 
First, after his long day’s work in the 
fields, his evening writing, although 
only for an hour, was very wearying, 
and often when he reached the house 


at night he could not, from fatigue, 
62 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 63 


either study or talk with those who 
nightly gathered there. Then, too, 
he felt that if he should undertake a 
regular Sunday-school, it would meet 
with opposition from the master, Mr. 
Sutherland. He had been very kind 
to him so far, and paid him liberally 
for his evening work, but Tom had 
never seen the little girl since that 
first night, and somehow he connected 
the little hymn he had taught her and 
her absence together. Then his pupils 
had no books, and it seemed to him 
that whatever other people might do, 
he could not teach a Sunday-school 
without books. With it all he became 
weary and very homesick, longing for 
the sight of a familiar face. His face 
grew more sober and his step heavier. 
He strove against it and tried to feel 
thankful, but it was hard indeed, and 


64 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


although his friends noticed it less 
than he imagined, yet Tom was not 
happy. 

One night, however, the opportunity 
for which he had been watching and 
waiting so long came to him when he 
least expected it. He turned homeward 
from his writing on this particular 
evening very weary and _heartsick. 
Had Martha seen him, she would have 
known that all was not well with him, 
but he knew that he was alone, so he 
allowed his despondent feelings full 
play. 

As he lifted the latch of the door 
and heard the voices within, he heaved 
a little sigh, wished for an hour’s quiet 
study with Martha, and then reso- 
lutely stepped within the room. 

There were a number gathered as 
usual, and they were very busily talk- 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 65 


ing about something, yet they all 
looked up when Tom came in. 

“Ah! here he is now,’ some one 
remarked. 

“Tom,” said one of the men, whose 
volce he had heard as he came 1n, 
‘we've been talking about you. You 
see, we’ve come to the conclusion that 
you knows a heap more’n the rest of 
us, and we’s been studyin’ as to how 
maybe you'd be willin’ to teach us a 
little of nights, after you gets through 
up to the great house.” 

‘“T would very gladly teach you any 
time, Uncle Silas,” replied Tom, think- 
ing that any hold on their hearts was 
a gain, “but the trouble here, just as 
in another plan of mine, is that we 
have no books.” | 

“But some of us has got books, 


honey,” said one old woman, ‘and 
6 * 


66 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


we'll lend ’em to those as has none of 
their own. Now there’s eight of us 
here to-night, and plenty more that 
wants to come. What do you say ?” 
What do you think he said, reader? 
Can you imagine how his face bright- 
ened, or can you hear the heartiness 
of his consent to their plan? This 
new work, sent him, as he believed, by 
God, was entered upon immediately 
with a great deep joy and a silent 
thanksgiving in his heart. He gave 
his first lesson that very night, listen- 
ing to the slowly-spelled words of 
those who were proud to say they had 
commenced to learn, and to the rest 
showing the first letters of the alpha- 
bet. He did not confine himself to 
these, however, but as he went the 
rounds from one to another, he would 
lead the talk from some word in the 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 67 


book to something he had heard or 
read elsewhere, putting them in a way, 
while they were learning their letters, 
to store their minds from his with 
many better things. 

“Such an opportunity to work for 
Jesus!” his heart cried exultingly, and 
so when the clock struck nine, as he 
told them they had learned enough 
for one evening, he added that “he 
would like to read to them before they 
went.” 

They were very well content; so he 
opened his Bible and read to them— 
with such an interest in the words 
himself that the listening was pleas- 
ant—the story of the Good Samari- 
tan; and then, closing the book, he re- 
peated it again in words which were 
better understood by them, enforcing 
the lesson which is among the most 


68 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 


beautiful taught by our Saviour in his 
parables: “Go and do thou likewise.” 
Then he dismissed them, saying that 
on the next evening they should meet 
again, and that they might bring as 
many of their friends as chose to come. 
‘‘My house used to be a place of 
frolic, honey,’ Aunt Margaret said, 
as they went out, “but now it is a 
place of education.” 
~ And Tom, happy boy! went up 
stairs and kneeled beside his bed with 
his heart full of thanks. They could 
not be expressed, but a tear or two 
told all he could not say, and Jimmy’s 
rather spiteful remark, that “he sup- 
posed he felt too big for anything,” 
fell on his ears as lightly as the sum- 
mer’s rain upon the moist soil. Al- 
though his head throbbed with the 
effort of the day, his field-work in the 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 69 


burning sun and the double task of 
the evening, yet his waking thoughts 
were as sweet as his sleep, and that 
was most calm and peaceful. 

It so happened that, a day or two 
after, Mr. Sutherland took him away 
from his regular work in the field, and 
sent him into the barn to receive the 
loads of hay which were being brought 
in from the field. Tom was always 
glad of these occasional changes, be- 
cause they rested him from more 
fatiguing work, and often gave him 
a few minutes in which to study. He 
brought his Bible and his arithmetic 
with him when he came out this 
morning, and it so happened that 
he found leisure to give them atten- 
tion, for the field from which the hay 
was being brought was at a consider- 
able distance, and it took some time 


70 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


for them to come with the loads, 
During one of these leisure times he 
had seated himself on the step of the 
ereat door at the back of the barn, 
and was intent upon his Bible, when 
he heard some child’s voice singing, 
and looking up he saw, just coming 
into the barn at the other end, Lillie 
Sutherland, whom he had not seen 
since the first evening he spent at the 
house. She saw him justas he looked 
up, and stopped both her walk and 
her music, and stood looking at him. 

She was a pretty little creature to 
see, but Tom did not wait for that. 

“Miss Lillie, can’t you come here 
and see me?” asked he. 

She shook her head, but stood still 
with her eyes still fixed upon him, 
and then suddenly stepped very quick- 
ly forward. | 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. ‘71 


“Oh, are you the boy that writes 
for papa?” she asked. 

“Yes, Miss Lillie,” replied Tom; 
“do you remember me?” 

“Certainly Ido. Sing ‘Jesus loves 
me? Y 

So Tom, amused at her manner, but 
very well content to do as she asked, 
sung the hymn through to a very 
attentive listener; but to his aston- 
ishment, when he had finished she 
asked him the same question as once 
before. 

‘Do you love Jesus ?” 

“Yes,” replied Tom—adding quiet- 
ly, ‘do you?” 

“Yes,” she returned; “I cannot 
help it, because he is so kind; but 
mamma does not like it, nor papa, 
very much. 

Tom was not astonished, ae 


72 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 


grieved, but he said as calmly as 
before, ‘‘ That makes no difference.” 

“Ought I to love Jesus just the 
same, and pray to him just the same, 
if mamma does not like it ?”’ 

“What has Jesus done for you?” 
asked Tom. 

‘‘He died for me,” she replied, as 
if it were a needless question. 

“Yes,” rephed Tom, with a smile, 
turning over the leaves of his Bible, 
‘he died for you and me.” 

“Well, what then?” asked the child, 
waiting to see what was coming next, 
but getting no word. 

“Why,” said Tom, eae up, ay 
think when anybody has died for me, 
I can never do enough for them if I 
work all my life.” 

She stood for several minutes after 
that, with her eyes away out in the 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 73 


green fields, and chen ‘she said sud- 
denly: 

‘Does God love you just as well as 
he does me, when you are black and I 
am white?” — 

Tom’s lip took a sorrowful curve 
for an instant, and then he replied, 

“Just as well;” and the words were 
very decided. 

She gave him another good look out 
of her great black eyes, and then seat- 
ing herself on the step, she said: 
ur “Read?” 

So he opened his Bible and read to 
her the story of the crucifixion. It 
needed no comment or simpler ren- 
dering, for the story, as it ever does 
and ever will, made instant impress on 
the heart and mind of the listener. 
Did you ever try to imagine what the 
feelings of the apostles must have 

7 


. 74 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 


been when they wrote those four 
sublime gospels? What a work of 
intermingled joy and pain it must 
have been ! 

“Now, Miss Liaillic,” said .'Tom, 
when he had finished, “if you can 
read, I want you to go home and read 
this over for yourself, and then think 
whem you ought to love.” 

“What shall I do then?” asked 
the child, as if she already surmised 
the result of the reading. 

‘“ Remember this one verse, and if 
I ever see you again, I shall ask you 
whether you have done as it com- 
mands: ‘If God so loved us, we ought 
also to love one another.’ ”’ 

She repeated it two or three times 
after him, and then stood quietly un- 
til the sound of voices reached her; 
and then, with one quick glance in the 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 75 


direction from which they came, she 
sprang through the door, out across 
the yard toward the back of the house. 
Up through the front gate in the op- 
posite direction came the great load, 
and ‘Tom received the hay, standing in 
the upper loft of the barn. 

And so it was that, after thinking 
over the interview, and sorrowing that 
the religion he loved was to some 
hedged about with so many difficul- 
ties, when he gathered his class about 
him that night, and looked around 
upon them, feeling that he need not 
be afraid to speak for Jesus here, 
he felt most devoutly thankful in his 
heart for the liberty which is ours 
when Christ has made us free. 

The interest manifested by his pupils 
was wonderful. Old gray-headed men 
bent over their spelling-books and 


76 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


tried hard to decipher the words, look- 
ing up into the youthful face that 
watched them as to one above them- 
selves,, because to him had _ been 
eranted a privilege which was not 
theirs. As the days advanced this 
did not lessen in the least; if any- 
thing, it seemed to increase. It was 
a beautiful thing to see, and to any, 
one who felt an interest in the welfare 
of these neglected souls a peep into 
this tiny school-room was worth go- 
ing far to see. Tom often wished 
Miss Mason could bethere. He tried 
to say as little in his home letters 
about his own connection with it as 
he well could, but he knew not what 
a happy sense of duty done they con- 
tained in those days. His teacher 
used to read them over, and say it 
was sweet refreshment in her weary 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 77 


work—this boy’s good service for his 
Lord, and the utter simplicity and 
yet full gladness with which he wrote 
of it. 

It was joy, yet the letters home 
were the best part of it. There were 
hours abroad and at home when the 
work was all done—house, field, and 
school tasks all completed—when the 
pressure on Tom’s mind seemed more 
than he could bear. That which lay 
heaviest was the care he felt over 
these souls who for five or six hours 
every week were committed to his 
care. ‘Teach them he did, well and 
faithfully, but it was the work for 
Jesus which he was in constant fear 
that he should neglect. He grew so 
morbid over it that whenever he 
heard a man in the field swear or 


speak wrongly, he always questioned 
y a 


78 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


whether if he, Tom, had done his duty 
this would have happened. His suc- 
cess was far beyond his knowledge. 
He was so constantly in the habit of 
dropping a word for Jesus, because 
“out of the abundance of his heart 
his mouth spake,” that the people 
learned to expect that when they 
came to him in odd minutes for as- 
sistance in their tasks, there would 
be a word of holy cheer given them 
before they went away. They learned 
to have a strange reverence for this 
boy. It was some little time before 
Tom discovered that Mr. Sutherland 
knew of all this, but the master had 
heard the boy’s name in so many 
directions that at length he became 
interested to know how far his popu- 
larity extended. A few inquiries 
gave him all he wanted—enough to. 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 79 


astonish him at any rate—and then 
Tom heard of it. 

One day at noon Tom stood in the 
field, leaning against the branch of a 
tree, resting himself and softly sing- 
ing, when up came one of his evening 
scholars with an appeal for help. 

“T knowed you knowed,” he said, 
apologetically, ‘so I brought it to find 
out.” 
~ Tom took it with a little weary sigh, 
which he did not allow to reach his lips, 
and gave the required help. As he 
handed back the book he asked, with 
a smile, 

‘“ How are you getting on now, Un- 
cle Gilbert ?” 

“ Only toler’ble, Tom,” he returned ; 
“old feller’s aches and pains right. 
smart bad sometimes.” 

“The Lord Jesus will take the pain 


80 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


away, because you will not feel it 
when you are bearing it for him. 
Have you asked him, uncle?” 

“J reckon, Tom, the Lord thinks 
old Gil no ’count.” 

“You are as useful as I am, Uncle 
Gilbert, and I once asked God for 
patience, and he gave me enough to 
last me through a long illness. Look 
to him, uncle.” 

So Uncle Gilbert ae away, and 
after a few minutes’ very grave thought, 
Tom turned around to take up his hoe 
and found his master at his elbow. 
His hand was at his cap in an instant. 

‘You do your teaching at all hours 
of the day, Tom ?” he said, pleasantly. 

“Yes, sir, they are anxious to learn,” 

replied Tom; and then, gathering cour- 
~ age, he added, “I have been wanting 
to ask you for a long time whether 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 81. 


you had any objection to the school 
which I hold every evening at Aunt 
Margaret’s.” 

‘No, not in the least,” replied Mr. 
Sutherland, “although I must say I 
was surprised to find that you had 
undertaken it, when I knew you had 
your hands full already.” 

_ “They wanted, sir, and I knew how 
I used to want when I could not have. 
I could not refuse.” 

“T sometimes think,” said Mr. Suth- 
erland slowly, with his eyes on his 
fingers, which were chipping off pieces. 
of bark from the tree against whieh 
Tom leaned—* I sometimes think that 
we are just beginning to understand 
your people.” 

He got a very deep look out of . 
the dark eyes in reply, but that was 
all. 


82 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


“T came over here,’ he continued 
after a moment, ‘‘to say to you that I 
think you had better leave your field- 
work altogether, and devote your days 
to my books and your evenings to 
your school. You are doing too 
much.” 

Tom’s eyes sparkled for a moment, 
but then he returned gravely, “I 
know it, sir, but I think with your 
leave I will still keep on. Martha— 
my sister—writes me that work is 
hard to get, and they will need my 
earnings.” 

“Oh, I shall continue your wages 
just the same,” said Mr. Sutherland 
hastily. “It is for my interest to do 
so. I shall need you longer now, as 
the returns begin to come in.” 

“Then, sir, I would gladly come,” 
replied Tom joyfully, “and thank you 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 83 


very much. My work is very weary- 
ing sometimes.” 

“Well, that is all then. Come up 
as usual to-night—I shall want you. 
Good-morning.” 

“Good-morning, sir,” rephed Tom, 
and after watching his master until he 
disappeared, he clasped his hands and 
looked upward, with every particle of 
pain and weariness banished from his 
face. “He knoweth them that trust 
in him,” he thought. 

His letter to Martha that night 
carried joy with it. 


ro 


CHAPTER V. 


“Get thy spindle and thy distaff ready, and God will 
give thee flax.”—O_p PRovVERB. 


FTER the commencement of Tom’s 
evening school, and before he gave 

up his field-work, his time was so fully 
occupied that when the labors of the 
day were over, he often felt so very 
weary that he had almost given up 
the thought of his Sunday-school; and 
when it did occur to him in his long- 
ing to do more Christian work, he 
knew very well that he had not leisure 
enough to devote to any such thing. 
Now, however, as soon as he was in- 


stalled in the master’s house, to spend 
64 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 89d 


five or six hours every day with his 
books, in the leisure hours which 
came to him, the thought of the 
Sunday-school recurred to him con- 
stantly. Still, he dreaded to under- 
take this task. He felt how very 
young he was, and saw dimly what an 
undertaking it would be. It was quite 
a long time therefore before he took 
any active steps in the matter, and ‘ 
then it was through a letter from Miss 
Mason. She had known a little, from 
what Tom had written, of how the boy 
was progressing; and although long 
ago he had told her of his anxiety to 
commence a Sunday-school, she had 
never heard more of it, and of late his 
letters were written in a half-despond- 
ing tone, which she could not feel easy 
about; so she wrote him a letter which, 


without mentioning the subject, gave 
8 


86 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 


him just what he wanted to think 
about, 

“The Lord’s work needs hands 
always,” she wrote. ‘I took up a book 
the other day when I was feeling 
rather listless and inclined to remain 
at home, and I had not read two 
verses of a hymn upon which my 
eyes fell before I laid it down, put on 
my bonnet and went out to visit my 
scholars. Isn’t there some work for 
you, Tom, among all those people? 
Suppose you remember the two verses 
I read, and if they affect you as they 
did me, it will not be long before the 
Lord’s work comes ready at your 
hands.” | 


“Two hands across the breast, 
And work is done; 
Two pale feet crossed in rest 
The race is run; 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 87 


Two eyes with coin-weights shut, 
And all tears cease ; 
Two lips where grief is mute, 
And wrath at peace : 
So pray we ofttimes, mourning our lot; 
God in his kindness answereth not. 


“Two hands to work addressed, 
} Aye for his praise! 
Two feet that never rest, 
Walking his ways; 
Two eyes that look above, 
Still through all tears ; 
Two lips that speak but love, 
_ Never more fears: 
So cry we afterward low on our knee, 
Pardon those erring prayers—Father, hear these !’’ 


‘“‘T was feeling just in the mood that 
the first verse expresses, Tom, but the 
second verse sent me out. Can we 
do too much for Him who said, ‘the 
fields are white unto the harvest,’ 
and who told us through his blessed 
apostle John, ‘Let him that heareth 
say, Come’ ?” 


88 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 


Tom drank in every word of this 
letter as one who was athirst, and he 
had just put it‘away the morning after 
its reception, after a third reading, and 
was bending over his writing, when 
Mr. Sutherland came in and sat down 
to read the newspaper. Tom’s pen 
moved more slowly. He glanced fre- 
quently from his task to Mr. Suther- 
land, and once or twice held his pen 
above the paper, watching him as 
though he wished to speak, and fin- 
ally, when Mr. Sutherland laid down 
his reading, Tom lifted his head 
and spoke—very faintly, indeed, at 
first : 

“Mr. Sutherland, I wanted to ask 
a favor of you.” 

“Well, Tom, be in a hurry; I must 
get over to the other plantation.” 

This was not very cheering, but 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 89 


after the first effort he gained fresh 
courage : 

“T have long been wishing to start 
a Sunday-school among the people, 
Mr. Sutherland. Have you any ob- 
jection to my undertaking it ?” 

‘‘Isn’t one school enough for you, 
Tom ?” asked Mr. Sutherland, a little 
oruffly. 

‘‘No, sir,” he replied, with a little 
smile—‘‘not while I can do more 
good.” 

“There is no isles to hold a Sun- 
day-school,” objected the master. 

‘There is an empty log-cabin out 
beyond the quarters, which would do 
very well in warm weather.” 

“Then I suppose you will shout 
and make a great noise about it.” 

‘No, sir, indeed,” urged Tom; ‘it 
will be as quiet as white people’s - 

8 * 


90 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


schools—as near like the one I have 
been attending all the year as I can 
possibly make it.” 

“Well,” returned Mr. Sutherland, 
“JT don’t know that I care much; but 
mind, if there is any disturbance [ 
will put an end to it at short notice.” 

Tom thanked him with a face full 
of pleasure, and returned to his work 
with a glad heart. 

That evening, just-after his work at 
the house was finished, and just be- 
fore school-time, he went down to the 
quarters and visited the people. With 
a great deal of timidity and faint- 
heartedness he knocked at the first 
cabin door, but it was here his round 
of joy began. He used in years after 
to look back upon the pretty twilight 
walk with utter joy, and never with- 
out a fresh desire in his heart to work 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 91 


for that Lord who always gives the 
wherewithal when we have the spirit. 

‘“Tt’s Tom Alson,” said the little 
child who opened the first cabin door, 
and Tom heard his welcome from 
within : 

‘Come in, Tom, here’s supper just 
ready,” said Aunt Polly’s voice, ‘and 
you must have somethin’, sure. It’s 
a fine ev’nin’, isn’t it?” 

“ Beautiful, Aunt Polly, but I must 
not stop. We are going to have a 
Sunday-school in the log-house be- 
hind the quarters Sunday afternoon, 
and I came to find out whether you 
would come.” 

“Ts you gwine to be thar?” asked 
she. 

“Certainly, Aunt Polly.” 

“Then [ll come, sure. Bring the 
chil’ens, did you say? I reckon I 


92 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 


will if you want them. Why, do you 
know Polly and Becky ?” for the chil- 
dren had given Tom a very glad 
greeting. 

‘“ Yes’m, I know them,” he replied; 
“we are quite old friends. Now I 
must go; good-bye.” 

And so on to the next house, and 
the next, and the next—everywhere a 
warm greeting and a petition that he 
would stay; everywhere the children 
ran, for Tom had in no way neglected 
to make their acquaintance long ago, 
thinking always that he might leave 
with them of the sweet Bible words 
on which he lived. His heart grew 
bigger and bigger with thankful de- 
light and pleasure as his list swelled. 
Two or three places he was obliged to 
stop to explain the evening lesson or 
read a few words, so that when he 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 933 


reached the step of Aunt Margaret’s. 
cabin it was almost dark. To any 
but Tom the experience of the after-. 
noon might have brought a little feel- 
ing of his own importance and the re- 
spect in which these people held him, 
but there was nothing of that—only a 
devout thankfulness and a longing to: 
have Martha with him to share his 
joy. 

But more than ever he longed for: 
the help which he knew she could 
give when he called his little Sunday- 
school together on Sunday afternoon. 
His face did not show what he felt, 
but it was only with the help of a fer- 
vent prayer that he brought himself 
there at all. When he opened his lit- 
tle Bible to read, there were thirty 
faces looking toward him—men, wo- 
men and children of every age. They 


94 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


each brought a chair or a stool with 
them, and sitting around the sides 
of the cabin, some leaning back and 
others erect, they all gave the most 
careful and fixed attention to the voice, 
manner and words of the reader. As 
for Tom, with a trembling heart, he 
opened his Bible and began. He had 
chosen one of the Psalms, and as the 
words of trust, and refuge, and sure 
strength have come home to tired 
hearts ever since the words were first 
given, so they came home to Tom’s 
heart, and made him ‘strong in the 
Lord of hosts.” 

The prayer that followed was our 
Saviour’s own, and oh how much bet- 
ter it made Tom feel! They sang after 
that one of their own hymns, and the 
words given in their full, rich voices, 
with all the pathos belonging pecu- 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 95 


liarly to the race, stilled more hearts 
than one. 
“There’s no more rain to wet you, 
Oh yes! I want to go home—want to go home; 
Dere’s no sun to burn you, 
Oh yes! I want to go home—want to go home; 
Dere’s no hard trials, 
Oh yes! I want to go home—want to go home; 
No eyil-doers in de kingdom, 
Oh yes! I want to go home—want to go home; 
All is gladness in de kingdom, 
Oh yes! I want to go home—want to go home.” 


After they had finished, Tom talked 
to them a while from some sweet Bible 
words. Oh how humble, how unfit 
he felt that he should be the one to 
lead them home! It was only his love 
for Christ that brought the words 
forth at all, but that, stirring his soul, 
sent that which was sweet to hear. 
As for those who listened, it was no- 
thing new to them. All that was 
strange was that he should talk to 


96 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


them all at once, but there was not 
one there who had not heard the name 
of Jesus from the boy’s lips before. 
They all knew how sweetly it came, 
or they would not have been here to- 
day. ‘‘When young Tom talks re- 
ligion, I can listen,” said one old man. 
‘He talks sense, and he is brimming 
over with God’s love.” That was the 
secret of his success everywhere. 

~ Just as he had finished his little 
talk he looked up, and through the 
doorway he could see Mr. Sutherland 
walking quietly down the road toward 
the building. It confused him for a 
minute, but then, regaining his com- 
posure, he asked them to sing again ; 
so when Mr. Sutherland came in the 
wild notes of another hymn were be- 
ing thrown out on the sweet summer 
afternoon air. The master stopped 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. oF 


just within the door and stood still to 
listen. When they ceased singing, 
Tom asked them if they remembered 
any texts which they could repeat. 
There was a moment’s hesitation, and 
then one said: 

‘Men ought always to pray and not 
to faint.” 

“ Yes,” replied Tom, with a smile, 
“if people pray they will not faint. 
Are there any more?” 

There were plenty more. It only 
needed some one to commence. One 
followed another, and their memories 
seemed stored with sweet words of 
rest and hope. Minds which could 
not grasp many a simpler thing of 
every-day life, rested and dwelt upon 
the divine words, and understood 
them because they were divine. 

‘When they had finished Tom looked 

9 


98 YHE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


round toward Mr. Sutherland with a 
little smile of triumph, but there was 
no response there. He stood with his 
hat pushed back off his forehead, and 
one hand thrust negligently into his 
pocket, leaning against the door-post. 
His eyes were on the floor, but some- 
how Tom knew they had not been 
- fixed there for the past fifteen minutes. 
Nevertheless, he turned back a little 
disappointed. 

“T think it is time to close now,” 
he said. ‘We have no books or we 
would have a short lesson, but if you 
like to come next Sunday we will be 
glad to see you all. Now let us put 
ourselves in God’s hands, and then go 
home.” 

So Tom kneeled by the little rush- 
bottomed chair he had brought from 
Aunt Margaret’s cabin, and gave his 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 99 


school into God’s keeping for the week, 
praying that the words they had heard 
to-day might stay by them always, 
and help them in all they did to work 
for God’s glory. 

Then Tom arose, just in time to see 
Mr. Sutherland standing erect in the 
doorway, his hat in his hand and his 
head bent in the attitude of prayer. 
Tom’s heart gave’ one throb of joy. 
There were others that saw it besides 
himself, he knew, and it was all he 
wanted to impress the lesson of the 
afternoon. What a blessed Sunday 
evening that was! I think Tom never 
spent such another. The Sunday- 
school grew and prospered ever after 
that, and the Sunday evenings were 
always pleasant, but never one like 
this. It was a stand taken, a point. 
gained; begun thus in God’s strength, 


100 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


it was sure to succeed.- Tom was very 
grateful. 

After supper, he sat on the step 
of Aunt Margaret’s cabin, letting the 
full moonlight pour over him, and 
longing for Martha’s presence that he 
might talk over the precious after- 
noon with her. Whilst he thus sat 
and mused two or three children 
approached him from the quarters, 
and stopping near him, one of them 
timidly asked him, 

“Tf you please Tom, could you 
teach us a text for next Sunday? We 
want to recite something.” 

“Yes, oh yes.” Tom was willing, 
so they sat down on the step below 
him, and each one was given a text. 

“Tove one another with a pure 
heart fervently.” That was the first. - 

“God resisteth the proud and 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 101 


giveth grace unto the humble.” That 
was the second. 

The third—which Tom gave to the 
eldest of the three, who sat looking 
up earnestly at him, waiting for his 
words—was one whose glorious words 
had been pouring their light through 
Tom’s soul ever since the afternoon 
school—his triumph in Christ’s name: 

“This is the. victory that over- 


cometh the world, even our faith.” 
9% 


: 
ute 


Gale Boel St bi Oy 2a 0 Te 


“ How sweet, how heavenly is the sight 
When those that love the Lord 
In one another’s peace delight, 
And thus fulfill his word !” 


HERE was one part of Tom’s 

Sunday-school and evening-school 
work which I think he never took 
into consideration’ when he was 
endeavoring to calculate, as he was 
very fond of doing, the extent of its 
influence and the number of people 
to whom it had been the means of 
doing good. I say, I think he never 
discovered the amount of good it did 
to two loving hearts at home—Miss 
Mason and Martha. After the com- 


mencement of his evening-school, he 
102 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 103 


had written every week, either to his 
sister or his teacher, and when the 
modestly written accounts were read 
by those for whom they were written, 
it did them a world of good. 

“Brother Tom is doing so much, 
Miss Mason,” said Martha, one day, 
as she stood by Miss Mason’s sitting- 
room fire, with Tom’s last letter in her 
hand, ‘I feel as if I was not doing 
anything.” 

“We must just sit still and be thank- 
ful, until our work comes, Martha,’ 
replied Miss Mason. ‘God will send 
it to us if we ask him. You had part 
of yours when Tom was sick, and this 
that he is doing is only an outgrowth 
from that.” 

“This that Tom was doing” was a 
great deal. No one who saw him. 
bending over Mr. Sutherland’s books 


104 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


hour after hour, copying the roughly- 
written accounts, would have imagined 
that his name was spoken everywhere 
over the plantation with praise and 
love. A very modest-looking colored 
boy he was, plain of face, with only 
those dark, earnest eyes to make him 
beautiful. A grave mouth, not much 
given to smiling, but which never 
wore any look of discontent or dis- 
trust. Hands used to work, but grown 


tender of late when the work had © 


been only the long hours of writing. 
His feet were bare; there was no need 
of shoes and stockings, and there was 
no inclination for them, for Tom’s 
money went to buy what was needed 
at home; so they rested on the soft 
carpet of the library and the carpet- 
less floor of Aunt Margaret’s cabin 
alike. To astranger going into Mr. 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 105 


Sutherland’s house of a morning, and 
watching the still figure at the desk 
in the library, the contrast between 
the boy and his surroundings would 
have been striking. There was no- 
thing fine or stylish about Tom. His 
dress was very plain, whole and neat, 
but coarse and ordinary. There was 
nothing elegant about him, yet all 
things around him were so. 

You remember I[ told you about the 
library. There was everything there 
that money could buy and taste de- 
vise. Mr. Sutherland had taken this 
room for himself and Tom, soon after 
the boy had commenced to spend his 
time there, and they two were the 
only ones who occupied it. Not one 
bit of the prettiness was lost upon 
Tom. The little education he had re-. 
ceived had fitted him, as education 


106 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


fits everybody, to admire and appre- 
ciate all that is worthy of praise. 
Tom liked the velvet library chairs 
better than the wooden ones at home; 
he preferred the hanging scarlet cur- 
tains to none at all; and he even chose 
rather to see the time by the French 
clock on the walnut bracket than by 
Aunt Margaret’s ancient time-piece. 
He never showed this outside. He 
only thought it to himself, and he 
never felt out of place in the library. 
Nobody who knew him well thought 
so either. He seemed a part of the 
library to Mr. Sutherland, and in no 
way a contrast to any of the surround- 
ings. The house-servants had learned 
to have a wonderful respect for him. 
Occasionally he had been obliged to 
ask of them some little service, and 
with considerable timidity he had done 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 107 


so, but he was always served with the 
utmost willingness and pleasure. 

The first time he ever ventured 
this was one wet morning in August. 
Mr. Sutherland always ordered a fire 
when there was a rain-storm, even in 
the close, warm days of summer, and 
on this particular day he was expected 
home about ten o’clock, and had or- 
dered a fire to be in readiness. The 
order, however, was forgotten, and 
when Tom came in to his morning’s 
work it was cold and cheerless, and 
the heavy summer rain was beating 
against the windows. Tom knew 
there would be trouble if Mr. Suther- 
land came home and found it so, but, 
on the other hand, he thought there 
might be more trouble if he were to 
go into the kitchen and order a fire 
made. He thought of it several min- 


108 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 


ates, and then, coming to the conclu- 
sion that it would better to stand the 
fire of Aunt Dinah’s anger than Mr. 
Sutherland’s, he quietly betook him- 
self across the wide hall and appeared 
at the kitchen door. 

‘Laws! here’s. Tom,” said Aunt 
Dinah, stopping her work to look at 
him. ‘ What brings you here?” she 
added. | 

‘Aunt Dinah,” he replied, “I’m 
sorry to trouble you, but there is no 
fire in the library, and Mr. Suther- 
Jand ordered one before he went away 
this morning. If you will be kind 
enough to give me the wood, [’ll make 
one, for I think Mr. Sutherland will 
be better pleased to find a cheerful 
room when he comes back.” 

_ “Tom, you just turn round and go 
back to your writing,” said Aunt 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 109 


Dinah, indignantly. ‘I’m sorry as 
ever I can be that there’s no fire, but 
T’ll have one there in five minutes. 
I don’t know what these niggers 
means by disobeyin’ my orders. 
Here, you Jack!” she called out, 
catching sight of the youngest of her 
flock, “why didn’t you make” the 
library fire? Here’s Tom got no fire 
to write by, and he your Sunday- 
school teacher, too. Ain’t you ’shamed 
of yourself.” 

“Oh, Aunt Dinah, I don’t care for 
myself,’ Tom replied. “Give me the 
wood and Tl] make it.” 

“What do you ’spose Master Suth- 
erland do to this chile if she let you 
make the fire? Go ‘long with you 
and set your pen to scratchin’, and in 
five minutes there be a blaze goin’ up 
that chimney fit to take the roof off.” 


10 


110 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 


So Tom obeyed, and in less than 
the time she mentioned a little boy 
was kneeling in front of the grate, 
softly laying in the pieces of wood, 
and ‘Tom heard Aunt Dinah tell him, 
as a last word as she opened the 
library door to admit him, 

“Now, you Jack, whatever you do, 
don’t ’sturb Tom’s writin’.” 

One morning, some time later than 
this, Tom was occupied over his morn- 
ing’s work, writing away very busily, 
when he heard the door open softly 
and then close again. He was sitting 
with his back to it, so he did not look 
around, but went on with his task. 
Presently, however, lifting his head 
and hand together to move some 
papers, he found standing by his side, 
with motionless eyes fixed upon his 
face, Lillie Sutherland. 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 111 


Good-morning, Miss Lillie,” said 
Tom, respectfully. “I did not know 
you were there, or I would have 
spoken before.” 

‘Papa said,” returned the child, 
“that I might come in and see you if 
I could be very still and not speak to 
you until you were ready.”’ 

“Well, I am ready now,” replied 
Tom; ‘only first let me get you a 
chair.” So he rose and with a gen- 
tle courtesy placed a low-seated rock- 
ing-chair near his table and asked 
her to be seated. 

She watched him bring it, and then 
seated herself with the utmost satisfac- 
tion. 

“‘T came,” she said with an import- 
ant air, which sat very curiously on 
her little figure, “to ask you if I might 
come to your Sunday-school.” 


112 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 


Tom was very much surprised. ‘TI 
am afraid your father would not like 
it, Miss Lillie,” he said, gently. 

‘But papa said I might, and mam- 
ma said she did not care,” urged Lillie. 

‘Tam sure I'll be glad to see you, 
Miss Lillie, but are you sure you 
would like it? ‘There is no one there 
but the people from the quarters.” 

“Yes, I know, but you talk about 
Jesus, don’t you?” 

“Oh yes!” replied Tom, the little 
smile hovering about his lips which 
always came at any loving mention of 
his Saviour’s name. 

“Well, then, that’s just what I want 
to come for. I never hear anything 
about Jesus at home. And _ besides, 
he is there with you.” 

“Yes,” replied Tom, earnestly— 
“ves indeed, Miss Lillie. I was very 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 113 


wrong to forget that. I shall be very 
glad to see you.” 

“Thank you, Tom; then I will come, 
but I want something more. Jake says 
the children learn verses to say— 
hymns or Bible verses. Won’t you 
teach me one? I knowa good many 
old ones, but I want something quite 
new for the first Sunday.” 

Tom’s eyes fell for a moment, and a 
curious look flashed from them into 
the roses on the carpet. It was of 
gladness that he knew just what she 
wanted and could give it to her—of 
sorrow that more about him did not 
know, and a mingling of both joy and 
sorrow that she, the daughter of the 
house, should be obliged to come to 
him, a laborer on the plantation, for 
the knowledge of Jesus. 


But when his words came, they 
10 # 


114 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


showed none of his thought, except a 
realization of who it was to whom he 
was speaking: 

“T think, Miss Lillie, I can give you 
a very pretty little verse I learned a 
few days ago. Will you stay a few 
minutes longer and learn it ?” 

“Yes indeed,” she replied, “I will 
stay.” 

So line by line, in the same simple 
way he had given the Bible verses to 
the children on Sunday, he taught her 
the four lines he had selected. She 
learned them very soon and then rose 
to go. ‘Tom rose too, and opened the 
door for her. 

“Tf you please, Miss Lillie,” he said 
as he dismissed her, ‘‘send one of the 
children down to the cabin with a 
chair on Sunday. We all bring our . 
own seats.” 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 115 


Tom did not forget his new scholar 
between that morning and the follow- 
ing Sunday afternoon. He thought 
of her many times, and was very glad 
that she was coming; nevertheless it 
was with a mingled feeling of pleasure 
and embarrassment that he saw the 
little green velvet chair standing close 
to his own when he came into the 
eabin on Sunday afternoon. The 
people were evidently very curious 
about it, and divided their glances 
between Tom’s face and the pretty 
seat. The greater part of them 
thought it was for him, but he took 
his own chair, and left them still in 
doubt. ‘Tom waited for Lillie a little 
beyond his time, so that when the 
child appeared at length in the door- 
way there were a number of eyes 
watching her. 


116. THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


She brought herself in her little 
embroidered dress down through the 
midst of them, and seated herself in 
the chair, and the two fitted each other 
so exactly as to leave no doubt as to 
the person for whom it had been placed 
there. 
~ Then Tom commenced his school in 
his usual way, without the least want 
of composure, although he felt his 
position not a little. He had perfect 
attention. Lillie’s dress attracted two 
or three pair of bright eyes, but no 
more; the teacher’s words were too good 
to be lost. : 
There were a number of verses given 
this afternoon, but each one was re- 
warded with a word of praise from 
Tom. He had learned his position. 
Outside he might be, and was, one of 
them, but here he was undoubtedly 


VST 
wy A= 


PROBASTY 


School. 


abin Sunday 


g-C 


Lo 


The 


Page 116. 


Fred-Boy in Alabama. 


THE FREED BOY IN AIABAMA. 117 


their teacher, and no one ever at- 
tempted to gainsay his authority in- 
side his Sunday-school room. 

‘Would you like to say your verse, 
Miss Lillie?” he said at length, turn- 
ing to her as the others finished. 

“Certainly I should,” she replied. 
“T learned it perfectly.” 

So she rose and. stood beside her 
chair, with one hand resting on its 
carved back, and recited with an earn- 
estness caught in part from the way 
which Tom had given her the words— 

“He prayeth best who loveth best, 
All things both great and small; 


For the dear God who loveth us, 
He made and loveth all.” 


There was a low laugh of admira- 
tion went all around the room when 
she finished, and Tom with a pleased 
smile said, 


118 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 


‘That was very nicely done.” 

Then, with the usual prayer for help 
and guidance, he dismissed them, and 
then offered to take Miss Lillie’s chair 
up to the house for her. 

‘‘No,” she replied, carelessly, ‘ let 
it stand; I will send Jack for it.” 

So he did as she requested, and 
took his way toward the quarters. 
Miss Lillie, however, kept up with 
him, talking and asking questions 
about the Sunday-school. ‘Tom, how- 
ever, seemed absent-minded, and fin- 
ally stopped short in the path. 

“Miss Lillie, I wish you would let 
me go back after that chair,” he said. 

“Why, Tom, I don’t care if you 
want to,” she replied, in a surprised 
tone, “ but Jack can come just as well.” 

Tom would not listen, but ran to 
the school-room, took the chair, and 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 119 


came back to where Lillie was stand- 
ing, bearing it on his shoulder. 

So they walked up through the 
quarters beside all the cabin doors, at 
which the people were gathered and 
watching; on up to the house, on the 
piazza of which Tom put down his 
burden, and touching his cap bade 
Miss Lillie “ good-afternoon,” and 
walked away. 

He knew exactly what he had done, 
and why he had done it. When he 
had found that Miss Lillie intended 
coming up with him through the 
quarters, he knew that among the 
people, even those that loved Tom 
best, there would arise a jealousy that 
Miss Lillie should notice one more 
than another. The beginning of this 
he had seen before, and for fear his 
influence with them might be lessened 


120 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 


in the slightest degree, he did the 
very thing which set it all at rest im- 
mediately. And so, as they stood at 
their doors and watched the two go 
by, it seemed just as it should be to 
them. ‘Tom, as Lillie’s servant, bore 
her chair. It satisfied them entirely, 
and ‘Tom gained rather than lost in 
their opinion. 

Now, do my young readers under- 
stand what I am talking about. Tom 
felt not one whit above his fellow-ser- 
vants, but for fear they should think 
he did, and so the religion he was try- 
ing to spread should be hindered, he 
wished to carry Miss Lillie’s chair. 
And let me tell you it was an honor 
to him, for it was what St. Paul meant 
when he said: “ Let not your good 
be evil spoken of.” 


CHAPTER VII. 


“ Abide with me from morn till eye, 
For without Thee I cannot live: 
Abide with me when death is nigh, 
For without Thee I dare not die.” 


ILLIE’S first Sunday at the school 

was the commencement of a very 
strange friendship which grew up be- 
tween herself and Tom. She never 
entered the library, except when es- 
pecially sent by her father, but she 
was always waiting at the door when 
Tom came out, and walked with him 
as far as the cabin door. Tom was 
afraid at first that Mr. Sutherland 
would object, but finding one day, 


from some chance word he dropped, 
11 121 


122 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 


that he knew of it and had no objec- 
tion, Tom began to take great pleas- 
ure in Lilhe’s company. He thought, 
too, that young as she was, if she once 
became interested in the people, she 
might learn to do good among them 
after he had gone away. So he often 
took her with him to the quarters 
during his visits to the people. It 
erew to be such a common custom to 
see them together about the grounds 
that the people forgot to be jealous, 
and her gentle bearing pleased them. 
She never said much, but listened at- 
tentively to all that went on, only 
once in a while putting in a question. 
Simple and child-like, she never 
seemed to remember the difference 
in position between herself and the 
people; and they, finding they were 
looked upon as equals, learned to love 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 123 


her. Tom was quick to see this, and 
take advantage of it, to interest Lillie 
in every way in his power in the Sun- 
day-school and the people. Mr. Suth- 
erland saw it and shut his eyes to it, 
taking care that no rumor of it should 
reach his wite. 

All this was quite encouraging to 
Tom, and he grew happy in the long 
summer days. ‘There was one thing, 
however, he very much wished for, 
but which seemed beyond his reach. 
This was the friendship of his school- 
mate, Jimmy. He seemed opposed to 
all Tom’s movements—not in any ac- 
tive way, but he shunned him on all 
occasions, and never came near the 
Sunday-school. Miss Mason often 
sent messages to him, and Tom al- 
ways took great pains to deliver them, 
sometimes showing him where she 


Ll 


124 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


had mentioned him in the letter. But 
although the messages were received 
with evident pleasure, the messenger 
was not, and Tom often went away 
sorrowful. He could not see that 
Jimmy took an interest in anything. 
He always went to bed when the 
evening-school assembled, and did his 
work mechanically. Yet his words 
and actions in Tom’s presence seemed 
always under restraint. 

Therefore, Tom was very much sur- 
prised one morning, as he came from 
the library, to meet Jimmy at the foot 
of the steps, evidently waiting to 
speak with him. 

“Tom,” he said, excitedly, ‘‘ there’s 
a bundle come for you by the cars 
this morning, and I should not in the 
least wonder if it should be books for 
the Sunday-school. There’s a letter, 


THE FREED BUY IN ALABAMA. 125 


too, for I heard master say so. Per- 
haps it’s from Miss Mason.” 

Tom was pleased with the news, 
and more than pleased with Jimmy’s 
interest. He made the most of it, 
immediately. 

“Why, Jimmy, that’s splendid!” 
he said, his dark eyes sparkling. 
“Come and show me where I can 
Hitec vate’ 

So Jimmy, nothing loth, started 
with Tom, and brought him round 
the corner of the house to where the 
wagon from the station was just de- 
positing its load. 

“ Ah, Tom,” said Mr. Sutherland as 
he came up, ‘SI was just about send- 
ing for you. You are getting to be 
of considerable importance. There’s 
a great heavy bundle addressed to you, 


which came by express this morning, 
ike 


126 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 


and here I have a letter which ap- 
pears to belong to it.” 

“It’s books, Tom, I know,” said 
Jimmy, pounding the bundle with his 
hand; “‘unfasten it, won’t you?” 

“Wait a minute,” replied Tom, 
“until I see what Miss Mason says.” 

So carefully cutting the end of the 
envelope (Miss Mason’s letters were 
never roughly handled), he drew the 
letter out and glanced over the con- 
tents. 

“Jimmy,” he said, as he finished 
and turned toward the boy with a very 
touched face, ‘‘ I think you must read 
this letter to pay you for bringing me 
such good news.” So he gave him 
the precious words. 

Jimmy knew what a treat that was, 
and that there was not another person 
on the place to whom Tom would have 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 127 


shown it, so he thanked him earnestly 
as he took it. 

“My dear Tom,” she wrote, “I am 
about sending you a bundle of books 
for your Sunday-school; so I thought 
J would forward a letter with them, 
for fear you would be too much sur- 
prised. I wrote, not long ago, to some 
of my Northern friends, and among 
other things I told them of your work 
for Jesus on the Sutherland Planta- 
tion. In answer to my letter the books 
I send you came. How gladly I for- 
ward them you can easily imagine. I 
have been thinking for a long time 
how much you needed them, and how I 
should like to send you a bundle. 
Well, here they are then, and I feel 
sure you will not forget to thank 
‘the Giver of every good and perfect 
gift,’ for it is he who sent them. 


128 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


‘“‘T opened the bundle to put in two 
or three lesson-books, and I have 
marked in the arithmetic and gram- 
mar the lessons of your class for the 
next month. I hope Jimmy is well, 
and that your work is progressing. 
Martha says, ‘Oh, Miss Mason, I am 
so glad for Tom!’ and I can tell you 
there is another one who is glad, and 
that is Tom’s old teacher, 

‘CR, Mason.” 


‘Now, Jimmy,” said Tom as the 
boy finished and handed him back 
the letter with a pleased smile, “come 
with me and we will unpack it.” 

“You don’t want me, Tom, I am 
sure,’ replied Jimmy, holding back 
reluctantly. 

‘“ Don’t want my old school-mate to 
help me unpack Miss Mason’s present! 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 129 


Of course I do! Come, I am in a 
hurry to see those precious books.” 
So the bundle was carried into the 
cabin, and, much to Aunt Margaret’s 
satisfaction, was unpacked there in 
the main room. Ah! how nice the 
books looked! Bibles and Testaments 
in plenty to the delight of Tom’s 
heart—illuminated texts for the school- 
room, little picture cards, the precious- 
ness of which every Sunday-school 
teacher knows. <A quantity of penny 
hymn-books, and little tracts for dis- 
tribution, and then a nice pile—just 
twenty—of well-selected library-books. 
Tom was perfectly happy. There was 
a little package at the bottom directed 
to himself in Miss Mason’s hand, and 
in this he found a new arithmetic and 
grammar, with the places marked, a 
parcel of pure white paper and en- 


130 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 


velopes, with pens and holder, and a 
very pretty Bible Dictionary.. Tom’s 
eyes were full of joyful tears. He had 
been thanking God all the time, and 
he only wondered how he should 
rightly express to Miss Mason his 
eratitude for the gift. Jimmy was in 
an ecstasy. His old taste for books 
and study woke right up, and he was 
Tom’s friend from that minute. 

‘“T have been thinking a long time 
about coming to the school, Tom,” he 
said, ‘‘and of being friends again, but 
somehow I didn’t know how to get 
about it, after having been out with 
you so long. But now I can’t help it; 
I must come.” 

Late that afternoon Tom came up 
toward the mansion, and seeing Mr. 
Sutherland and Lillie on the porch, he 
walked toward them. 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 131 


“Mr. Sutherland,” he said, rather 
timidly, “if you feel any interest, I 
would like very much to have you 
come and see the books sent to the 
Sunday-school this morning. I think 
it is a very nice collection.” 

“YT should be very glad to do so, 
Tom,” said Mr. Sutherland, good- 
naturedly, rising and coming down 
off the steps; “I will go with you 
now; are they down at Aunt Marga- 
ret’s ?” 

“Yes, sir,’ replied Tom, and then as 
they stepped away, Tom, looking back, 
saw Lillie still sitting in her low 
chair upon the piazza. ‘Miss Lillie,” 
he said, stepping back, “won’t you 
come too?” 

“Yes, certainly,” she replied, spring- 
ing up; “I was only afraid you did not 
want me. Wait a minute, papa,” 


1382 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 


she added, “until I get my hat from 
the stand in the hall.” 

“Stay here, Miss Lillie,” said Tom, 
checking her and disappearing within 
the doorway. He returned in a 
moment with the hat, which he gave 
her with a little bright smile. 

“You are quite a courtier,” said 
Mr. Sutherland with an amused face, 
as Tom joined him. “ Lillie should 
wait upon herself sometimes.” 

‘‘Miss Lillie does more for me, by 
her influence among my scholars, than 
I can ever do for her in this way; 
and besides,” he added, “I am very 
glad to serve her in any way that I 
ran.” 

The books, and the manner of send- 
ing them, were a puzzle to Mr. Suth- 
erland. He could make nothing of 
it. But with the wisdom of the se- 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 133 


lection and the value of the books he 
was fully acquainted, and praised them 
to Tom’s fullest satisfaction. Lillie 
lost herself among the picture cards, 
and would hardly be aroused when 
her father, after a long examination 
of Tom’s treasures, asked her if she 
was not ready to go. 

But she had leave to look a while 
longer, for the people, returning from 
the field, having heard—for the news 
flew—of the arrival of the books, all 
stopped at Aunt Margaret’s cabin on 
their way home, to have a peep at 
them. Mr. Sutherland stayed to look 
and listen, for their interest and ex- 
citement were a marvel to him. 

_ “Jf Tom can read all these, he must 
be mighty learned,” said one of the 
women, touching them with the ans 


of her fingers. | 
p2 


1384 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 


‘Not very, auntie,” replied Tom, 
laughing. 

‘Won’t we feel big,” said another, 
‘when we gets all these shining words 
hangin’ round that cabin ?” 

“TY expect we will,’ Tom replied, 
‘but we will feel a great deal more 
proud when we get the shining words 
so stamped on our hearts that we can 
never get them out.” 

All this was a leaf in the history of 
these people that Mr. Sutherland had 
never before taken the trouble to turn 
over; and now that it lay open before 
him, he was both puzzled and sur- 
prised. By and by, however, he took 
Lillie’s hand, and as he turned to go 
back to the house, he said to Tom, 
“ By the way, I wish you would walk 
over with us. I find there are some 
accounts which arrived this morning, 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 135 


which require some explanation before 
they are copied, and I am going away 
early in the morning.” 

So Tom, hastily putting aside the 
precious books, took his way back with 
them. Midway between the cabin 
and the house the workmen of the 
place were engaged in putting up a 
store-house, which was to be in readi- 
ness for the gathering in of the cotton 
crop. The men at work were un- 
skilled in their task, and had caused 
Mr. Sutherland much anxiety by the 
clumsy way in which they were rear- 
ing the building. Just as he came 
opposite them this afternoon, they 
were raising a heavy beam by means 
of ropes and pulleys, with a great 
deal of noise and very little work. 
Mr. Sutherland, with an exclamation 
of impatience, stopped his words and 


1386 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


his walk, and came up to where they 
were at work—the two, Tom and Lil- 
he, following. 

He spoke to the workmen rather. 
severely for a few moments, and then 
stopped to direct the work. His two 
companions, interested in the raising 
of the beam, stood under the shadow 
of the unfinished part, watching. 

Mr. Sutherland stood just outside 
giving orders, and the beam was 
slowly finding its way to the top, 
when there was a sudden strain of the. 
ropes, and they cracked and parted. 

Tom saw what was coming just in 
time to seize Lillie, who was standing 
beside him, and throw her violently 
from him out into the green grass 
of the lawn, and then the heavy tim-. 
ber had fallen into the house, crush- 
ing in the part already finished, and 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 137 


with it the boy who stood under its 
shadow. 

“ Oh, papa!” said Lillie, standing on 
her feet in the long green grass, and 
half crying, “Tom hurt me so bad.” 

“ Wush!” said her father in reply. 
“Go home to your mother. Tom is 
under those ruins.” 

It was with a very white face that 
he gave quick directions that the tim- 
bers should be removed, and Lillie, as 
soon as she saw what had happened, 
never moved. The news spread 
like lightning, and a group. of pained, 
grave faces soon gathered round the 
crushed building, to see if possible 
whether the human body covered with 
the fearful weight had still hfe within 
it. 

Whenat length they lifted Tom from 
the ey he was found to be wounded 


138 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


and bruised terribly, but there was life 
still there, for the heart was beating. 
With a tinge of returning color in his 
face, Mr. Sutherland announced as 
much to the people, who stood wait- 
ing, thankful that the life was spared ; 
and then, taking the trembling hand 
of his little daughter in his, he gave 
his orders. 

“Take Tom into my house, and put 
him in the south room. Tell Aunt 
Dinah that no pains must be spared 
to relieve him, and tell Gordon to or- 
der the horse immediately and I will 
ride for Dr. Bartier.” 


CHAPTER VIII 


“Tt is well!” 
God’s ways are always right, 
' And love is o’er them all, 
Tho’ far above our sight.” 


IVE weeks afterward, at the win- 
dow of the south room in the man- 
sion of the Sutherland plantation, in a 
deep easy-chair, propped up with pil- 
lows, sat or rather reclined, Tom Al- 
son. His hands, grown slender and 
delicate by long illness, were resting 
upon an open letter which lay upon 
his knee, and his eyes were wandering 
out over the glorious country, with a 
little wistfulness in them that had of 
late been at home there. 
The landscape upon which the sick 


139 


140 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


eyes rested was truly a beautiful one. 
The rich lands of the plantation 
stretched out and away off to the 
banks of the Tennessee, the waters of 
which were hidden by the cliff-like 
shores. Beyond this the mountains 
rose, and the eye followed the bends of 
the river by their ever-changing 
curves. A few of the trees on these 
densely-wooded slopes were changing 
color, and the scarlet and yellow 
among so much green made each color 
more intense. The fields which lay 
- nearer home were truly ‘‘ white unto 
the harvest.” The cotton-buds had 
burst everywhere, and over the South- 
ern hills the fresh breezes of Septem- 
ber were blowing. The hands were 
busy in the fields, and Tom counted 
many dark forms among the white 
cotton, hard at work. 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 141 


Somehow this first sight of the 
fields led Tom’s mind back to the let- 
ter he had received, telling of other 
fields, just as ‘‘ white.” ‘That, and the 
letter just received from home, had 
sent his thoughts out after his Sunday- 
school, of which he had not been able 
to hear for so many weeks. He hardly 
dared ask after its welfare even now. 
But he brought his eyes in from the 
window, and they rested upon Lillie, 
sitting in a low chair near him, busily 
employed in some little manufacture 
with cotton and needle. He watched 
the white fingers move to and fro in 
silence for a few minutes, and then he 
sald, 

‘Miss Lillie, I have not been able 
to think of my Sunday-school in a 
very. long time.” 

“T have been waiting for you to 


142 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


speak of it all the afternoon,” said 
Lillie, rousing herself and stopping 
her work. 

“Well?” said Tom, not daring yet 
to ask the question. 

“Well,” echoed Lillie, “‘ we consider 
ourselves something wonderful, I can 
tell you. We have met every Sunday 
in the cabin, and Jimmy Harrison— 
you know him—reads to us from one 
of the new books and the Bible. He 
says he cannot pray, so old Uncle Ben 
prays, and when it comes the time 
you used to speak to us, I tell them 
how you are, and what you have been 
talking about, and then we all try and 
remember what you have told us and 
to repeat verses. I did not know 
there were so many of the people 
learning to love Jesus, Tom. ‘Then, 
one Sunday, father came down—it was 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 143 


that Sunday after you and he were 
talking so long in the morning—and 
he talked to the people a long time, 
and they were all so pleased.” 

There was a great sob which pre- 
vented Tom’s reply. He did not know 
even then—only God knew—what 
had been accomplished during the 
summer months on the Sutherland 
Plantation. 

‘¢ Have the books been distributed, 
Miss Lillie?” asked Tom when he 
could find voice. 

‘‘No, only two or three were taken 
by Jimmy to read. Then our illu- 
minated text—that one you said was 
prettier than all the rest, ‘We would 
see Jesus’—we had put up first over 
your chair. We have a little table 
that papa sent down, and my velvet 
chair stays there now, and last Sunday 


144 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


the back was covered with a beautiful 
wreath of flowers.” 

Tom looked out again through dim 
eyes over the white fields, and thought 
of the promise: ‘“ He that goeth forth 
Weeping, bearing precious seed, shall 
doubtless come again with joy, bring- 
ing his sheaves with him.” Tom 
thought he had a harvest. 

Just then Mr. Sutherland opened the 
door and came in, and coming up to 
Tom’s chair, asked him ‘“ how he was.” 

“Very happy indeed, sir,” replied 
Tom with a quiet smile. 

“What would you lke most in the 
world just at this minute?” asked 
Mr. Sutherland, whose heart always 
went out warmly toward the boy who 
had saved his child. ; 

Tom’s eyes grew a little wistful. 
“T should like most of all to see my 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 145 


sister Martha,” said he; “but next to 
that,’ he added, smiling, “I would like 
to have you read to me, Mr. Suther- 
land.” 

So Mr. Sutherland sat down by the 
sick boy and read to Tom until the 
sunlight faded. 

“That was the next best thing to 
seeing Martha, sir,” said Tom grate- 
fully as he finished. ‘I am very much 
obliged to you.” 

“Not at all,” replied Mr. Suther- 
Jand, heartily. ‘Now I am going 
away, and I shall send Aunt Dinah to 
see that you have what you want for 
supper. Come, pet.” 

So he went away, taking Lillie 
with him, and left happy Tom, sitting 
in the twilight, grateful and content, 
with the words of the Psalmist making 


sweet music in his heart: 
13 


146 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


“Thou shalt keep him in perfect 
peace whose mind is stayed on thee.” 

After this first day of pleasure 
Tom could not be kept away from the 
window, and so, day after day, his 
chair was moved up to it, and himself 
put into it, all wrapped about with 
shawls and supported by pillows, and 
left to spend the day by the window. 
He had numerous visitors—not too 
many—but just enough to make him 
feel that he was not alone. 

One morning, after he had been up 
about a week, he was sitting by the 
open window as usual, watching the 
cotton-pickers in the distance, when 
he heard steps coming up the stairs. 
‘Somebody is coming to see me,” he 
thought, so he listened, still looking 
out of the window. Something at- 
tracted his attention there, so that 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 147 


when the door opened he did not 
immediately turn his head. There 
were quick steps across the floor and 
some one came kneeling by his chair, 
and then he turned and looked down 
into the eager face of his sister 
Martha. 

“Oh, Martha! Martha!” he cried, 
seizing her hand and bending down 
to her face, ‘‘has God sent me this joy 
too? My dear sister, I have wanted 
to see you more than anything on 
earth.” | 

‘And I am here, Tom,” she replied 
joyfully—‘‘come to take good care ot 
you. Mr. Sutherland wrote me that 
you would not send for me for fear I 
could not come, but that you wanted 
me very much. How are you, dear 
Tom?” 

“T believe, Martha,” he said, still 


148 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 


holding her hand and looking down 
into her face, “I believe I am perfectly 
happy.” 

“And how is the Sunday-school ?” 
his sister asked. ‘Oh, you can’t 
think how Miss Mason and I have 
enjoyed that school!” 

‘It’s perfectly wonderful, Martha,” 
he replied with glowing eyes. “It 
seems to me that for the past few 
days, when the thought of it came, 
those four grand words, ‘What hath 
God wrought?’ have been the only 
ones which could anyway rest me. 
Listen while I tell.” 

Thereupon followed a long con- 
-versation in questions and answers 
about the summer’s doings, with 
pleased eagerness on one side and 
loving sympathy on the other, until 
they knew all those little things 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 149 


which pen and paper never tell, and 
which therefore the letters which had 
passed between them had not con- 
tained. 

“And now, Tom,” said Martha, 
when home and_ plantation news 
seemed to be exhausted, ‘I believe 
I’ve something to tell you. Mr. 
Sutherland said to me, as we rode up 
this morning, that he would like to 
keep you all winter if you. were 
pleased to stay. He said that you 
understood his business, and did it 
well, and that you had wound your- 
self round the hearts of the people; 
although,” she added, “I did not need 
for him to tell me that, after Jimmy’s 
letter.” 

“Jimmy?” asked Tom, in amaze. 

“Yes,” laughed Martha. ‘Jimmy 


wrote Miss Mason and me a joint 
13 * 


150 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


letter of confession of his own sins 
and praise of you. It was funny, but 
it was good. I will show it to you 
some day.” 

Tom gave her a bright smile in 
answer, and asked her if there was 
anything more. 

“Yes,” returned Martha. ‘“ Mr. 
Sutherland wants me to stay here too, 
to be a sort of waiting-maid for Miss 
Lillie. How do you like that?” 

“My dear Martha, that is glorious,” 
said Tom, bringing his hands together 
with sudden joy. ‘There will be no 
discouragements if you are here.” 

“But, Tom dear,” said Martha, “I 
would not stay, and I should not want 
to leave you, but in the fall the good 
people who sent Miss Mason to us in 
Huntsville are going to send a teacher 
to this plantation, and Mr. Sutherland 


THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA, 151 


is perfectly willing. So we may study 
yet, Tom.” 

“There is no truer word in the 
world than that which God spake, 
Martha,” replied Tom, looking into 
her gentle, earnest face with glisten- 
ing eyes: “All things work together 
for good to them that love God.’ 

‘Who trusts in God’s unchanging love, 
Builds on a rock which naught can moye,’” 

And now, dear reader, I had 
meant to leave you here, and let the 
story of Tom’s summer work leave its 
own impress on your minds and 
hearts, but when I think of the joy, 
and love, and reward of working for 
Jesus, and the faintness with which I 
have tried to show them to you, I am 
longing for power to carry home the 
truth to your hearts. But God who 
giveth the increase will bring it to 


152 THE FREED BOY IN ALABAMA. 


pass when human hands fall power- 
less. 

Do you remember how John fin- 
ished his gospel? He says: ‘‘ And there 
are also many other things which 
Jesus did, the which if they should be 
written every one, I suppose that even 
the world itself could not contain the 
books that should be written.” So I 
believe, with him, that if the beauty 
and joy of the lives spent in work for 
the Lord were given to mankind, 
“even the world itself could not 
contain the books that should be 
written.” 


THE END. 


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